[ cheers and applause ] ♪ this is "nightline." >> juju: tonight, squatters. >> i own this house. >> juju: the shocking situation where property owners find strangers living in their homes with no way to get them out. >> i ask her what she was doing

here, and she said, "i rented this property yesterday." >> juju: one woman's nightmare, spending $40,000 to repair the damage. >> the house was in shambles. >> juju: and meet the squatter hunter determined to flush out unwanted guests. >> my goal right now today is to get you out of this house. >> juju: plus kathy griffin. >> i didn't exactly take a hiatus, i was investigated by two agencies within the department of justice. >> juju: the audacious comic is back and not afraid to lean into what got her, as she says, canceled. >> it's not lost on me that you're known for the headless horseman, and i'm known for headless trump. >> juju: out on her "my life on the ptsd list" tour after hardships and health scares. and the a-list celebs she settled her beef with. >> someone finally goes, "okay,

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that's what some homeowners say they've come up against when they find squatters living in their living rooms. here's abc's jaclyn lee. owning an extra home was my way of getting a little bit of extra income for my retirement. >> reporter: patty peoples never imagined buying two small investment properties near her home would turn into such a colossal nightmare. >> oh my gosh. i mean, what a year this has been. literally one year ago at this time, the house was in shambles. i can see that they've changed the lock on the front door. how is that not breaking and entering? >> reporter: the 61-year-old from jacksonville, florida, became a victim of squatters, a maddening situation that cost her over $40,000 and put her in danger. >> i thought, if i put the key in the door, i don't know what's waiting on the other side.

>> reporter: last year peoples put one of her houses on the market. it sat empty for less than a month before two strangers broke in, according to jacksonville police, and staked their claim, taking over. >> i called 911. as i'm describing to the officer that there may be somebody that had broken and entered into my house, out walks a young woman and she said, "i rented this property yesterday." it only got worse. >> i own this house. >> it doesn't [ bleep ] matter! >> reporter: tensions escalating the very next day. after peoples entered her home and asked the strangers to leave -- >> excuse me, if you touch me again -- >> i have every right to be in this house. >> you do not. you do not. >> [ bleep ]. >> you are turning me. >> this lady is touching me. >> god [ bleep ] it! >> reporter: believe it or not -- >> the police officer told me, "i will arrest you if you do

this again, they have the right to privacy." i cannot tell you the frustration i felt at this point. >> reporter: according to this police report obtained by abc news, the squatters had a fabricated lease and were repeat offenders. to peoples' surprise, police told her there was little they could do. >> the police gave me the devastating news, that this was not a crime, that this had to be managed in civil court. >> reporter: peoples' ordeal is part of a rampant squatter crisis affecting residents from state to state. >> as you're trying to bring more awareness to the laws you think you need to change, if a squautd squat irenters a home illegally, never had a legal right to be there, they should be prosecuted as criminals, criminal trespass. if they present a fake lease, it should be fraud. >> when someone is in a property, they have what is called adverse possession. they take that property on as their own, they do have certain legal rights. we would think it's trespassing,

but they have to be evicted through the court process. >> the process took several weeks. it all total, 36 days before the squatters were ejected. >> it is egregious what these people are getting away with through the current legislation. >> reporter: after learning about her ordeal, represent give kevin steele and state senator keith perry said, enough is enough. perry introducing a new law to protect homeowners, giving police the right to immediately arrest squatters and criminally charge any trespasser with a felony for any intentional damage. while falsifying a lease carries a misdemeanor charge, if someone tries to sell your property, it's a first degree felony. patty peoples sharing her story in front of lawmakers. >> the police have no power. the homeowner has no power. the only one with power in this situation are the squatters. >> reporter: and earlier this month, the bill receiving unanimous bipartisan support. and just today, florida governor ron desantis signing it into

law. >> we are in the state of florida ending the squatters' scam once and for all. >> reporter: it goes into effect july 1st. >> this bill really communicated that this is a people's rights bill. it is a fairness bill. >> about when you own property, it is verydi disheartening to know that you have to go through a long legal process that is not only long in duration, also can be very expensive. reality is that, unfortunately, squatters are taking advantage of certain laws that are in their favor. >> reporter: while florida is taking action, the squatter crisis in other states has no end in sight, including texas. >> time and time again, we've told you about homeowners fighting to get their property back after squatters moved in. now it appears it's happened once again. >> reporter: and in new york, a squatter standoff caught on camera by wabc. >> you shouldn't be trying to steal my house! >> i'm not -- >> yes, you are!

there's a man sleeping right there. get out of my house. >> reporter: she says she inherited the new york city house, but a group of people moved in and changed the locks. >> who are these people? >> reporter: nypd called in, arresting one man. >> why is it that i have to leave and he doesn't? >> technically, he can't be kicked out. >> reporter: this man forcing his way back inside, was allowed to stay. >> call the police again! >> reporter: the mant telling wabc's investigative reporter he signed a lease in october, though he showed no proof. >> how does this end? when do you leave? >> the way it ends is she evicts me, my money that i put into the house, pay me the money and i leave, or court, and we'll deal with the judge in court. >> reporter: in new york city, squatters have tenant rights after 30 days, making this a landlord/tenant dispute. when adele had the locks changed again -- >> you're being arrested for what? >> for being in my home. being in my own home. >> reporter: police took her

away in cuffs for unlawful eviction. the charges against her have since been dropped. >> we're keeping track of it on our cell phones. we're taking video. we're taking pictures. >> reporter: with few protections for homeowners, infuriated residents in this upscale los angeles neighborhood forming a neighborhood watch. >> it's a constant problem. i've lived here since 1991. it's a very different vibe now. for me personally, it's triggering. i don't feel safe. >> reporter: what is your worst fear? >> well -- that this will escalate. and more crime could be invited into that house. it could turn into a drug den. >> reporter: one squatting incident in new york has turned into a murder investigation. >> suspected squatters on the run for a murder in manhattan arrested in pennsylvania -- >> reporter: according to nypd, 52-year-old nadya came upon two squatters living in her late

mother's vacant apartment. she ended up dead, her body found stuffed in a duffel bag. meanwhile in l.a., gaining notoriety, is flash shelton, a man who calls himself the squatter hunter. >> squatters are not homeless people. squatters are self inentitled criminal-type people who don't care how their lives are affecting others. >> reporter: he's out-squatting the squatters. he helped an elderly widow remove a squatter from her multimillion-dollar home in the hollywood hills and caught on it camera. you came to the house and confronted him in the driveway? >> that's correct. i understand you've been squait squatting at this residence? >> no. >> no? i got in between him and the house and i said, i understand you are squatting in this residence. he started telling me he had a lease. my goal is to get you out of this house told. i followed him in. we sat down.

i talked to him for an hour and a half. >> reporter: for flash, a former handyman, this is personal. when a squatter took over his mother's house, he moved in with the squatter until they left. i own a home. someone can just come in ask set up shop, and they don't have to leave? >> yeah, many cases where people are on vacation. i do call the police, they just say, "i live here." then you have a civil matter on your hands. >> reporter: police can't do anything about it? >> police can't do anything about it. >> reporter: in florida, patty's learned a thing or two. >> they go to open houses as a legitimate buyer or renter and are scoping out the property. it's important to post "no trespassing" signs all over your property. the second thing is that there exist nondrillable locks. many of these squatters drill out the dead bolt on your front door. don't do like i did.

don't approach the squatters. >> reporter: while her experience has left her feeling vulnerable, peoples is grateful homeowners like her are now protected under the law. the the fight is absolutely not done yet. it must be taken to every state. and if some sort of federal legislation can be crafted, i think that would be the best solution of all. >> juju: our thanks to jaclyn. when we return, kathy griffin is back, bolder than ever. the dating show she says she'd be perfect for. eight months pregnant... that's a different story. i couldn't slow down. we were starting a business from the ground up. people were showing up left and right. and so did our business needs the chase ink card made it easy. when you go for something big like this, your kids see that. and they believe they can do the same. earn unlimited 1.5% cash back

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hey. nice to meet you. (♪) you're so amazing.

(♪) ♪

>> juju: and welcome back. as you know, kathy griffin is a two-time emmy and grammy award-winning comedian who has been a lightning rod in hollywood for decades. >> it's true. i turned out to be a lightning rod. i started out just making fun of the kardashians, then i took a photo which upset some people, including the former administration, who should go unnamed. >> juju: gotcha. you've taken a six-year hiatus from touring? >> hold on, i didn't take a hiatus. i was blacklisted by my own industry. i was put on the no-fly list. i was investigated by two agencies within the department of justice, and they were considering charging me with conspiracy to assassinate the president of the united states. that will make you take a hiatus. >> juju: there's that. details, details. the point is, you're back touring. >> yes. >> juju: it's a big deal. you call it "my life on the ptsd

list." >> yes. >> juju: hearkening back to "life on the d-list." >> thank you. >> juju: what's the like being back on the road and greeted by protesters? >> sunday night, huntington, new york -- >> you suck! >> the trumpers are still mad at me about the picture. they organized a whole caravan. they had a bobblehead of a red wig. so they had me in effigy. then i'm a trader, blah whatblah. and yet the show sold out. it was hatred on the outside, on the inside, inclusive, laughter, love. they were on their feet at the end. and it's just been heaven to be back at work. >> juju: i have a clip from your tarrytown showing. let's take a look. >> tarrytown, new york. i just want to say that, it's not lost on me that you're known for the headless horseman. and i'm known for headless trump. [ cheers and applause ]

>> juju: clearly unafraid to lean into what got you, quote, unquote, canceled? >> the great jane fonda said, "this is going to be on your tomb stone, kid." now i'm being used to ask about it, talk about it. it was 6 1/2 years ago. >> juju: how do you turn trauma into comedy? >> i have been diagnosed with ptsd, which i feel self-conscious about saying. i thought it was just for combat veterans. i think it was a combo of the trump thing was really hard. i was out of work. i became addicted to prescription pills. i tried to take my life. i was on a 5150 cycle for three days. i got sober. i got lung cancer. that's why my voice is altered. they took out half my left lung. i was injured during the surgery. i'll get another surgery in june. then i just got divorced. at the tender age of 63. oh, i would like to be the golden bachelorette. if anyone is listening? >> juju: you would be awesome. >> who would like a rose? >> juju: you'd keep us laughing through the entire thing.

>> we need that. >> juju: that's a lot of trauma. how do you turn all of that "t" into comedy in the ptsd format? >> you have to. when you're at your lowest, find the humor. somehow, flip it around. when i'm at the oncologist's office, and if they say one more time, "miss gifford, miss lee gifford." i'm not going to yell at the oncologist, i just laugh. i talk about the stuff i find funny within that world. you've got to find humor in every situation if you can. it's what got me through. >> juju: it's serious, and yet a couple of years ago, we sat down and talked about all those things. about your struggles with prescription pills and your struggle with cancer. . >> i think one of the reasons i actually wasn't acknowledging that i was a serious drug addict is because i thought, i don't even drink, big deal, i take a couple of pills now and again,

who doesn't? also, my age was a big part of it. who bottoms out and tries to take their life at 59? >> juju: how are you now on this side of that struggle? >> i'm so glad to be working. first of all, i have a team of people trying to put humpty dumpty back together again. you should see the stuff i do. acupuncture. does it work? i don't know. i do cupping. i get those circles on my back. i do a breathing class. apparently i don't know how to breathe. i do whatever it takes. honestly, being back to work has been the most therapeutic thing. i just missed making people laugh. >> juju: you talk about that's a high for you, that is the thing you've valued more than anything, to make people laugh? >> it's the best. i have the greatest job in the world. >> juju: we follow you on tiktok. you posted with paris hilton's birthday party. >> yes. >> juju: you apologized and made up over your beef with demi lovato? >> it was like debbie and i made up. i call her debbie because it

drives her and her fans nuts. she came at me, i went on her, her fan army came at me. she's a young girl, she's beautiful, she's got the world by the tail. she's an amazing singer. i'm at paris' birthday party. i know, that's weird too joouchlk you're an a-lister now? >> i had an a-list moment. i wasn't allowed in the house, paris was smart to keep me in the yard, i probably would have stolen something and accused debbie. i saw demi lovato, "can we finally make up?" she smiled, we hugged. that's incredibly gratifying is when someone i've been giving the business to finally goes, "okay, okay, you're just kidding around." >> juju: amazing. this is the newer, kinder, gentler kathy griffin. >> easy, nobody's safe at my live shows. no one knows what happens in that room. >> juju: always great to see you. if you want to catch "my life on the ptsd list," it's touring across north america and conkins are available at kathygriffin.com.

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♪ finally tonight, remembering senator joe lieberman. his career was defined by

breaking barriers and breaking down party lines. lieberman was tapped by al gore to be his running mate. election night in 2000 roughly 500 contested votes shy of becoming america's first jewish vice president. he served terms representing connecticut, balancing liberal outlooks with hawkish foreign policy. he formed strong alliances on both sides of the aisle, including friendships with republicans lindsey graham and john mccain. his family is saying he passed away after complications from a fall. praising his love of god, family, and america. joe lieberman was 82. he'll be missed. that's "nightline." you can watch all our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you rigk here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.