Kathy Griffin Says Her Mother Is Suffering From Severe Dementia

Kathy Griffin’s 98-year-old mother Maggie is suffering from dementia, the comedian announced Thursday.

Griffin shared the sad news about her mom, who regularly appeared on Griffin’s reality show My Life on the D-List, with her fans on Twitter.

“As heartbreaking as this is, I feel the need to share some important info about my mom Maggie. I’ve always been honest with you all, but this one is really hard. The pic below, taken in September, was the last time I was able to have a proper/coherent conversation with her,” she wrote Thursday on social media. “Since that photo was taken, she has rapidly fallen into the throes of dementia. This is never easy for any child, I know this is a reality that millions of people deal with every year. But when it comes to my mom this is particularly hard because her sharp mind was everything.”

Along with the announcement, first reported by PEOPLE, Griffin revealed that her mother is now receiving “the best” 24-hour care and she is not in pain.

“In terms of how she is now, at this point she only knows my name and I love you. I know many of you know what that reality is like… I’m still grappling with it,” the comedian added.

Griffin opened up to her Twitter followers about how difficult it’s been to watch her mom lose herself.

“Up until this past couple years she was so sharp she always kept me on my toes,” Kathy continued. “Her mind was so naturally quick, funny, and smart. No one could get anything past her. Watching that slip away so fast has been devastating.”

She added that she decided to share the update on her mother’s health because she was so beloved by her fans, who first met Maggie during appearances on the reality series running from 2005-2010. Griffin also posted many videos of Maggie and her dog Twinkie on social media, and said she stopped sharing the videos due to her mom’s deteriorating condition.

“Now you understand why we haven’t been able to share anything,” Griffin added.

Later, Griffin asked her followers to share their favorite Maggie moments from the series or any photos of Griffin with her mom.

“While the reality for Maggie is different now, I want to remember the woman all of you fell in love with,” Griffin said.

Griffin’s family has been impacted with severe health issues in the past few years. Her older siblings Gay and Joyce both died of cancer, in 2014 and 2017, respectively.