Jay Leno Reflects on Feud with Jimmy Kimmel, Takes Blame

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Jay Leno opened up about his history with Jimmy Kimmel during a recent appearance on “In Depth” with Graham Bensinger. The comedian, 75, addressed an infamous moment from a 2010 interview that sparked a long-standing feud between the two.

During the interview, Leno admitted he takes partial responsibility for allowing Kimmel to mock him. “When Kimmel came on my show and humiliated me on my own show, I let it happen. I didn’t edit it,” Leno said. “It was my mistake, I trusted somebody. I went, ‘Ah, I made a mistake. Ok, I should pay the price.’ And it’s fine, it’s fine.”

The incident occurred shortly after Leno stepped down from hosting the “Tonight Show” to make way for Kimmel, who would eventually hand the show back to Leno less than a year later. During Kimmel’s appearance, he joked about Leno’s career moves: “I told a guy that five years from now I’m going to give you my show, and then when the five years came, I gave it to him, and then I took it back almost instantly.”

This moment took place during the height of the so-called “late night wars,” a time when television hosts were more contentious. Leno acknowledged that it sparked significant tension, saying, “It’s real — it happened. It’s my mistake. That’s how you learn.” He noted that, although he met Kimmel’s humor with some regret, their feud has since been resolved after Leno reached out in 2017 following a medical issue involving Kimmel’s son.

“But it’s okay, it’s alright. He’s a comic. You do what you gotta do. I mean, I wouldn’t have done it, but that’s okay,” Leno concluded.