James Corden Addresses Balthazar Restaurant Drama: ‘I Made a Rude Comment, And It Was Wrong’ (VIDEO)
As promised, James Corden addressed the recent drama surrounding his alleged behavior at the New York City restaurant Balthazar on Monday’s (October 24) edition of The Late Late Show.
The late-night host, who was accused of being rude to staff at the French eatery, spoke about the situation at the top of the show. He said it was “never my intention” to upset anyone at Balthazar and that he would “absolutely” apologize in person if allowed back.
Last week, restaurateur Keith McNally said that Corden was “the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago” and, as a result, banned him from the establishment. However, he later reversed the decision, revealing that Corden had apologized and all was “forgiven.”
That changed again, though, after Corden did an interview with the New York Times, where he said, “I haven’t done anything wrong, on any level.” This led to McNally blasting the comedian again on Instagram, writing, “Although I didn’t witness the incident, lots of my restaurant’s floor staff did. They had nothing to gain by lying. Corden did.”
Corden tried to explain himself on Monday’s The Late Late Show, saying that when he first heard about the story, he chose to adopt a “British attitude. You know, keep calm and carry on. Things are going to get written about me. ‘Never complain, never explain’ is very much my motto.”
However, after speaking with his father, he decided it was best to take responsibility and address what happened. He explained that while at the restaurant, his wife specified a “serious food allergy” when placing her order but was served food “she was allergic to” on three occasions.
“In the heat of the moment, I made a sarcastic, rude comment about cooking it myself,” Corden added. “It is a comment I deeply regret. I understand the difficulties of being a server. I worked shifts at restaurants for years.”
“Because I didn’t shout or scream, I didn’t get up out of my seat, I didn’t call anyone names or use derogatory language I’ve been walking around thinking that I hadn’t done anything wrong,” he continued. “But the truth is, I have. I made a rude comment, and it was wrong. It was an unnecessary comment. It was ungracious to the server.”
He concluded, “I love that restaurant. I love the staff there. I hope I’m allowed in again one day. So when I’m back in New York, I can go there and apologize in person, which is something I will absolutely do.”
The Late Late Show With James Corden, Monday–Thursday, June 27–30, 12:35am/11:35c, CBS
