Jay Leno Addresses Rumors That His Latest Accidents Have been from Getting Beat Up by Mob

Jay Leno is setting the report straight about his latest string of accidents.

The previous Tonight Present host, 74, appeared on the Dec. 22 episode of Invoice Maher‘s Membership Random podcast to debate comedy, performing dwell and the early days of their careers as stand-up performers. In the course of the dialog, Maher, 68, requested Leno a few latest rumor that his accidents have been from getting beat up by the mob attributable to playing money owed.

“Nicely, I like the concept they wouldn’t simply take one in every of my automobiles for the playing debt,” the New York-born comic shortly quipped in reply. (Leno famously owns almost 200 automobiles, lots of them uncommon collectibles value a number of thousands and thousands of {dollars}.)

Leno then received critical, revealing that whereas he personally has no affiliation with the mob, he did have a run–in with a member of the Mafia when he was an up-and-coming comic making an attempt to catch his massive break.

“I used to be fairly sensible,” he informed Maher. “I keep in mind years in the past, I used to be at [the East Coast-based comedy club] Catch a Rising Star, and I used to be onstage, and this man — a mob man — comes as much as me afterwards and he goes, ‘Hey, you’re a humorous child. You’re a humorous child.’ ”

“He takes $100 and he places it in my pocket,” he continued. ”I say, ‘Oh thanks.’ I say, ‘Look, I don’t imply any disrespect, however, you already know, give it to the church or one thing … I’m okay, however thanks.’ And he says to me, ‘, you’re a wise child. You don’t take cash from individuals like me. That’s sensible.’ And no person ever bothered me once more.”

Leno then shared that whereas he personally by no means had any bother, he used to see the mob “kick the crap out of comics left and proper” for being “smart a——” onstage.

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Leno additionally mentioned that the rumors about the reason for his accidents are unfounded for the easy purpose that he doesn’t like playing. “I don’t gamble,” he insisted, including, “Shedding 100 bucks makes me really feel stupider than successful one thousand makes me really feel good. As a result of I’m going, ‘I might have taken my spouse to dinner.’ ”

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In November, the previous late-night host was noticed stepping out with extreme bruising on his face, inflicting alarm amongst followers. On the time, Leno informed TMZ that the accidents have been attributable to a fall down a steep hill, and he later informed Inside Version that he broke his wrist, misplaced the nail on one in every of his fingers and bruised the whole left facet of his physique in the course of the tumble. He needed to put on an eye fixed patch throughout his restoration.

The autumn got here one 12 months after the USO Present alum skilled second- and third-degree burns on his face, chest and palms whereas engaged on one in every of his automobiles when a gasoline fireplace broke out. He underwent a sequence of surgical excision and grafting procedures for his accidents and spent 10 days in a restoration facility.