Kathy Griffin said that Donald Trump and his family are 'personally trying to ruin my life forever', in the wake of a controversial photo shoot in which she held up a mask that resembled the United States President's severed head.

Trump and his family members tweeted their upset over the image, and Griffin said that she has been subjected to a constant stream of death threats.

Her attorney, Lisa Bloom, suggested that it was an attempt to silence the free speech rights of a comic who makes provocative and critical political humour, reported Variety.

"What's happening to me has never happened in this great country," Griffin said during a press conference on Friday, referring to Trump and his family members' tweets in response to the photo shoot.

"I don't think I will have a career after this. I am going to be honest, he broke me. He broke me. And then I felt,'This isn't right. This is not right. And I apologised because that was the right thing to do an I meant it."

Her appearance at the Bloom firm was the first since Tuesday, when she issued a video apology for the images that she acknowledged went 'too far'.

At the conference, Griffin reiterated 'that apology absolutely stands. I feel horrible'.