James Corden Addresses NYC Restaurant Ban Drama

Image Source: Getty / Taylor Hill

James Corden is finally addressing the claims surrounding his alleged “abusive” behavior towards employees at NYC restaurant Balthazar. While the late-night host didn’t share his own version of the incidents reported by owner Keith McNally or confirm that he apologized, Corden said he hasn’t “done anything wrong, on any level,” in an interview with The New York Times published on Oct. 21 and conducted the day prior.

“I think it’s so silly. I just think it’s beneath all of us.”

“So why would I ever cancel this [interview]? I was there. I get it. I feel so Zen about the whole thing. Because I think it’s so silly. I just think it’s beneath all of us. It’s beneath you. It’s certainly beneath your publication.” When asked by the reporter if Corden was familiar with McNally’s accusations against him and reports of a subsequent apology, “The Late Late Show” host said, “I haven’t really read anything. It’s strange. It’s strange when you were there. I think I’m probably going to have to talk about it on Monday’s show. My feeling, often, is, never explain, never complain. But I’ll probably have to talk about it.”

Adding that the online chatter was “silly,” Corden attributed the talk about his behavior to trolls on social media. “Should we not all be a little grown-up about this? . . . I’ve been here, been walking around New York, not one person’s come up to me. We’re dealing in two worlds here. If I lived on Twitter, Hillary Clinton is the president of the United States and Jeremy Corbyn won by a landslide.”

On Oct. 17, McNally shared that Corden had apologized for his behavior toward employees at the popular NYC restaurant frequented by the stars. After initially accusing the late-night host of mistreating the restaurant’s waitstaff on Instagram on Oct. 17, a few hours later, McNally said Corden had kindly responded to his claims.

“James Corden just called me and apologized profusely,” McNally wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of Corden. “Having f*cked up myself more than most people, I strongly believe in second chances.” He also joked, “So if James Corden lets me host his Late Late Show for 9 months, I’ll immediately rescind his ban from Balthazar. No, of course not. But . . . anyone magnanimous enough to apologize to a deadbeat layabout like me (and my staff) doesn’t deserve to be banned from anywhere. Especially Balthazar. So Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Corden, Jimmy Corden. All is Forgiven. xx”

Earlier that day, McNally, who also owns famed NYC establishments like Pastis, Morandi, and Minetta Tavern, detailed incidents involving the “Late Late Show” host. “James Corden is a Hugely gifted comedian, but a tiny Cretin of a man. And the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago,” he wrote, before explaining an incident in June in which Corden was “extremely nasty” to a Balthazar manager after finding a hair in his dish, and another a few weeks prior when he yelled at a server upon receiving an incorrect order. “You can’t do your job! Maybe I should go into the kitchen and cook the omelette myself!” Corden allegedly said to the server.

“I don’t often 86 a customer, [but] today I 86’d Corden. It did not make me laugh,” McNally continued. (“86” is a term used in the restaurant industry in reference to removing a customer from an establishment or an item from the menu.)

Corden’s representatives did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR’s request for comment.



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