Jay Leno Reflects on Jimmy Kimmel Feud: “It Was My Mistake, and I Owned It”
Jay Leno is looking back on one of late-night television’s most infamous chapters with a surprising dose of humility. Appearing on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Leno opened up about his long-resolved feud with fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel, which ignited in 2010 during a tension-filled appearance on The Tonight Show.
“When Kimmel came on my show and humiliated me on my own show, I let it happen,” Leno admitted. “That was my mistake — I trusted somebody.”
The moment came in the wake of Conan O’Brien’s controversial departure from The Tonight Show, after NBC reinstated Leno as host. Kimmel, never one to shy away from confrontation, made jabs at Leno’s handling of the situation during the live interview.
Though the wounds ran deep at the time, Leno chose not to edit the segment. “It happened. That’s how you learn,” he said.
The two comedians eventually reconciled in 2017 when Leno reached out following Kimmel’s emotional public announcement about his newborn son’s heart condition. That call, Kimmel has said, allowed them to “make peace.”
Now, Leno reflects without bitterness: “He’s a comic. You do what you gotta do.”
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