Kathy Griffin dishes on feud with Ellen DeGeneres

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Kathy Griffin is opening up about her longtime feud with fellow television personality and comedian Ellen DeGeneres.

The 56-year-old star explained her conflict with DeGeneres in an interview with Us Weekly after claiming in her new book, Kathy Griffin's Celebrity Run-Ins, that the TV host has a "mean streak."

"Ellen did a monologue about how mean I am," Griffin said of her September 2007 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "I was in the dressing room like, '[Expletive]! You're another woman comic, c'mon!"

"I don't know if Ellen gets that when I talk about women, I'm joking," she added. "I just feel really strongly about women supporting each other, especially women over 50 and women in comedy, because the people who still make decisions are still middle-aged white guys."

"[I have] immense respect [for her]," the star qualified. "I'm just saying that we would all be better served if we all just really be there for each other the way the dudes are."

Griffin had suggested in her book, which was released Tuesday, that DeGeneres once had her kicked out of a dressing room at the Emmy Awards. The 58-year-old television personality has hosted the awards show multiple times.

"I'm almost positive a certain beloved daytime talk show host once had me kicked out of a backstage dressing room at the Emmy Awards," Griffin wrote. "I can't prove it, but this person, who has short blonde hair, has a mean streak that all of Hollywood knows about."

Griffin and DeGeneres discussed their different approaches to comedy during Griffin's appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. DeGeneres said at the time that she initially didn't watch Griffin's show My Life on the D-List because she thought it would be "mean-spirited," but revealed she ultimately "really loved it."