James Corden Apologizes for Restaurant Ban Controversy On ‘The Late Late Show’
During James Corden’s opening monologue on the latest Late Late Show episode, the host addressed his restaurant ban and unban from popular New York City restaurant, Balthazar. In a new interview with The New York Times last week, Corden told the publication, “I haven’t done anything wrong, on any level. So why would I ever cancel this [interview]?”
He added, “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.” Restaurant owner Keith McNally didn’t find it “so silly” and called out Corden once again, writing on Instagram, “I wish James Corden would live up to his Almighty initials and come clean. If the supremely talented actor wants to retrieve the respect he had from all his fans (all 4 of them) before this incident, then he should at least admit he did wrong. If he goes one step further and apologizes to the 2 servers he insulted, I’ll let him eat for free at Balthazar for the next 10 years.”
Now, Corden took to his late show to once and (hopefully) for all end the drama and clear his name. “Last week, there were stories about me being banned from a restaurant,” Corden says to the camera. “At the time I considered tweeting about it or Instagramming about it, but whenever these sorts of moments come my way I like to adopt quite a British attitude: ‘Keep calm and carry on.’ Things are going to be written about me. ‘Never complain, never explain.’ Very much my motto.”
Corden, 44, said his dad (seated in the audience) pointed out to him that he did in fact, complain, so he “might need to explain.” Admitting he must take responsibility, Corden wanted to explain what happened at the restaurant when he was with his wife and friends a few weeks ago. Before getting into it, he described Balthazar as his favorite restaurant and that if he lived in New York, he would go every day, “on the proviso, they’d let me in.” The “Carpool Karaoke” host said his wife explained to staff that she has a serious food allergy and was given the food that she was allergic to once everyone’s meals came in. Without taking a bite, they sent the food back and “all was good.”
That is, until her meal came to the table wrong “the third time,” Corden said. “In the heat of the moment, I made a sarcastic, rude comment about cooking it myself and it is a comment I deeply regret.” He went on to say he was a server himself and has a deep respect for those involved in the restaurant industry. “But here’s the truth of it: Because I didn’t shout or scream or get up out of my seat, I didn’t call anyone names or use derogatory language, I’ve been walking around thinking I hadn’t done anything wrong.”
Watch Corden’s opening monologue on The Late Late Show below:
