US comedian Kathy Griffin has retracted her apology for posing with a fake severed head of Donald Trump.
The photoshoot is believed to have prompted a Secret Service investigation and sparked a huge social media storm - which Ms Griffin has now branded “B.S.”
The 56-year-old told Australian television programme Sunrise: “I am no longer sorry, the whole outrage was B.S."
Ms Griffin was reportedly investigated by the US Secret Service because of the photos, posted on Instagram in May this year, but the case was closed by the end of July.
She was also sacked from a presenting slot on CNN’s New Year’s Eve programme and had to cancel her tour as a result of the backlash.
Ms Griffin said: "The whole thing got so blown out of proportion, and I lost everybody. Like, I had Chelsea Clinton tweeting against me. I had friends, Debra Messing from ‘Will and Grace,’ tweeting against me. I mean, I lost everybody."
The comedian slammed Trump supporters, describing how her entire tour was cancelled within 24 hours because “every single theatre got these death threats. These Trump fans are hard core. They are a minority but they know how to act like they're a majority."
The gruesome photos were taken in a shoot with celebrity photographer Tyler Shields, who is known for work depicting violence. Shields photographed Lindsay Lohan with a gun in 2010.
The sight of the President’s bloodied head sparked widespread outrage: Donald Trump took to Twitter to condemn the photos, suggesting his youngest son was traumatised by them.
Meanwhile the President's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, branded the photos "disgusting":
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Trump’s former rival Hillary Clinton, added her voice to the disapproval, suggesting Ms Griffin had broken a political taboo:
Ms Griffin posted what seemed to be a heartfelt apology on Instagram at the time, writing “I am sorry. I went too far. I was wrong.”
She added: “I beg for your forgiveness.”
