Jay Leno explained how he coordinated a meet-and-greet between fans and Taylor Swift in one of the most unlikely ways.
The 74-year-old star, who appears on the TMZ holiday special Merry Elfin’ Christmas, said he met the fans’ father in what started as a “road rage” encounter while he was driving one of his fleet of classic cars.
“Let me tell you a road rage story involving Taylor Swift,” Leno said. ‘I’m standing in traffic, a man behind me, beep beep beep. I drive one of my old cars, so me [gesture to] go around me.’
Leno, who hosted NBC’s The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2014, said the other driver knocked him out, which he then confronted.
“I pulled up to the light, looked at the man and said, ‘What was that all about?’ He starts cursing and that’s what I told him to do,” Leno said.
The comedy icon said he attacked the hostile motorist with a monologue that would have put even the nastiest of hecklers on edge.
Jay Leno, 74, explained how he coordinated a meet-and-greet between fans and Taylor Swift, 34, in one of the most unlikely ways. Leno pictured in LA last month
‘I said, ‘Let me guess: what are you, 52, divorced, your kids hate you, you’re bald? What was your best day – in high school?’
Leno said the other motorist started “crying” and told him he was “right” in his harsh assessment of him, prompting him to try to cheer the man up.
“I say, ‘Wait, wait, wait,’ so I get out of my car, I get in his car – I said, ‘Look, I have Taylor Swift on the show next Wednesday – do you daughters like Taylor Swift?’ Leno said.
Leno said that after the man confirmed his daughters loved Swift, he gave the man tickets to the show and arranged for his daughters to meet the pop star.
Leno said he “told Taylor the situation” and that she “was the nicest person” as she “talked to the girls” and gave them souvenirs.
The man’s daughters were “ecstatic” when they met Swift, Leno said, and “liked him again” after the A-list exchange that resulted from the tantalizing encounter on the road.
Swift appeared on The Tonight Show a total of seven times during Leno’s tenure, with her first appearance in 2007 and the last in 2012.
She has appeared seven more times since Jimmy Fallon took over the NBC franchise in 2014, with her most recent appearance coming in 2022.
Leno said he arranged for Swift to meet a man’s daughters after verbally scorching him in a traffic dispute
Swift appeared on The Tonight Show a total of seven times during Leno’s tenure, with her first appearance in 2007 and the last in 2012 (pictured in February 2012)
Leno has been recovering for weeks after falling from a 65-foot hill following a performance at Greenhouse, Pennsylvania’s Palace Theater on November 15.
Leno hosted an amfAR benefit at the Wynn Las Vegas last week, where he said on the red carpet that he was “feeling good” during his recovery from the accidental fall, adding, “I have a broken wrist, but it I’m doing well. .’
Leno told TMZ On November 19, it was revealed that he suffered the injury while trying to take a shortcut to a restaurant that was inconveniently located at the bottom of a hill.
The classic car enthusiast said he “didn’t have a car” at the time and wanted to avoid “a mile and a half” walk to the diner: “I said, ‘Well, not the hill.’ Look, it’s so steep – it’s about 18 to 20 meters – late let me see if I can get down the hill.’
Leno said at the time he fell, “Boom, boom, boom – I rolled down the hill, hit my head on a rock and hit myself in the eye.”
Leno remained a trooper in the aftermath of the accident, making his show the next day at the Yaamava Theater in Highland, California.
Merry Elfin’ Christmas airs Mondays at 9/8c on Fox.