Jay Leno Reflects on Past Feud with Jimmy Kimmel

Hollywood, CA

Jay Leno recently opened up about his long-standing feud with fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel during an interview on the show “In Depth” with Graham Bensinger. Leno, 75, admitted taking partial blame for a 2010 incident that escalated tensions between them.

In the interview, Leno recalled a moment from his own show where Kimmel had humiliated him. Leno said, “When Kimmel came on my show and humiliated me on my own show, I let it happen. I didn’t edit it. It was my mistake, I trusted somebody.” He reflected on his failure to take action, noting, “I made a mistake. Ok, I should pay the price. And it’s fine, it’s fine.”

The incident in question occurred when Kimmel appeared on the “Tonight Show” shortly after Leno had relinquished his hosting duties. Kimmel joked about Leno’s decision to take back the show less than a year later. At that time, Kimmel quipped, “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 exchange was during the peak of the late-night television wars, where rivalries were fierce and public. The remarks sparked a feud that lasted for years. However, Leno seemed to have come to terms with the past, saying, “It’s real — it happened. It’s my mistake. That’s how you learn.”

Despite the conflict, the two eventually resolved their differences in 2017, prompted by Leno’s outreach after Kimmel’s son faced a medical issue. Leno concluded with a note of acceptance, stating, “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.”