TV and Movies

[keri]

By Ashley Lee | THE Hollywood REPORTER | October 15, 2014

After all these years, why did former Tonight Show host Jay Leno keep up Johnny Carson's ban on Joan Rivers?

"I didn't want to do it while Johnny was alive, out of respect for Johnny — I don't think he wanted to see her on the show," Leno told Access Hollywood. It wasn't a promise made personally to Carson: "No, no, it never came up. nothing was ever said, we just didn't do it."

Carson and Rivers "broke up" after the comedienne was offered her own late-night show, following multiple appearances on The Tonight Show. Rivers returned to The Tonight Show under Jimmy Fallon's reign earlier this year, for the first time in 25 years.

Read more Joan Rivers: Why Johnny Carson "Never Ever Spoke to Me Again"

After Carson passed, "It got a little awkward — by that point, Joan was going on and on about me," Leno explained, noting that he personally liked Rivers, and she was the first autograph he ever got. He doesn't regret the decision, though. "No, I don't have regrets about anything."

Leno — who is set to host a primetime series on CNBC — also spoke about the late Robin Williams, whom he saw audition at The Improv and always joked with Jerry Seinfeld that the three of them would be making fun of each other into their old age, similar to Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. "It would be great fun to be 85 years old and sit with Jerry and Robin, and that's not gonna happen," he said.

"I love Robin — he was a good comic, never trashed other comedians, never got involved in any trash talk or that kind of nonsense," Leno said of Williams. "He was very supportive, always helped out young performers, and homeless people, and he was a really, decent, decent guy who obviously had a lot of demons. He fought that fight every day, but you only have to lose that fight once."

Read more Jay Leno In-Depth: Post-'Tonight' Plans, Kimmel's Insults, Zucker, What He Taught Letterman

Watch the video https://movies.yahoo.com/news/why-jay-leno-never-invited-joan-rivers-tonight-161355000.html?soc_src..., including his reflections on depression, his Mark Twain comedy prize and "being a comedian again" via stand-up.

==========================================

I'd often wondered by Jay Leno never invited Joan Rivers on the show. This article was very interesting, considering the legendary Johnny Carson-Joan Rivers feud was one of the most famous in Hollywood. Perhaps Leno was too forgiving, especially after the reprehensible way he was treated by the NBC executives who made no secret of preferring Letterman. There was also a definite lack of respect from Leno's idol, Carson, himself. It's well-known that Carson wanted David Letterman to inherit his Tonight Show crown. In fact, Carson often chatted by phone with Letterman, wrote jokes for him and even appeared on his CBS show. He never showed Leno any such professional courtesy or respect, yet Leno continued to idolize Carson throughout his lifetime and long after his death.

[Buckaroo2]

I don't understand why Johnny could never get over this. He didn't own Joan and to hold the fact that she got her own show against her was childish and sad. Too bad Leno couldn't have righted that wrong.

[KimThib]

I read Johnny's biography by his long time friend/lawyer--as wonderful as he was on The Tonight Show, he was NOT a nice person. Cruel, petty, selfish--the list goes on. I believe a lot of it has to do with his Mother--no matter how famous he got or how many accolades he collected, he could never please or impress her--she was a real piece of work.

[emmysmom]

I don't respect Jay anymore, glad he's gone!

[qvcaddition]

I read the same book as KIMTHIB, AND HE WAS PORTRAYED AS A MEANSELFISH , HATEFUL PERSON, VERY EGOTISTICAL.

[keri]

Thanks, kimthib and qvcaddition. That information about the Carson biography was very enlightening. I'd never heard of the book, therefore I'd never heard those stories. They most certainly run counter to his public persona as a kind and gentle individual. The only negatives were his divorces, but even those weren't scandalous. Amazing that such harsh assessments of Carson came from his own attorney-friend. It's hard to discount such information coming from someone so close who really knew Carson well.

I thought Johnny Carson was amusing and I also enjoyed his successor, Jay Leno. I admired Leno's many charitable acts (e.g. - entertaining military personnel here and overseas; free performances in areas ravaged by high unemployment resulting from factory closings, etc.), but I think one of the greatest act of kindness would've been to have extended an invitation to Joan Rivers after Carson's death and not perpetuating such a ridiculous feud for 30 years.

[Tinkrbl44]

NO entertainer is "entitled" to be on any version of any talk show.

Carson was known to have a temper and be very difficult ....... and Leno was known to be pretty easy going, so clearly there is more going on here ........ if Joan had "demanded" to be on, I would have told her to take a hike. .... It just seems unlikely that Jay would refuse to have her on because she had a falling out with Johnny ...... there has to be more to it.

[keri]

Tinkrbl, in the Billy Bush interview on Access Hollywood over the past two days, Jay Leno said that out of respect for his idol, Johnny Carson and knowing how he felt, Joan Rivers was never invited to be a guest on The Tonight Show after he took over as host.

After Carson's death, as more time passed, the situation became "awkward," despite Leno's saying that once they were "friends." Rivers' was the first autograph Leno ever obtained.

Rivers never "demanded" to guest on Tonight. She said even after Carson's death, her manager and agent "begged" to book her, but she was still frozen out by Leno, who said she mercilessly attacked him with relentless nasty jokes and snide remarks every chance she got.

Talk about Carson's pettiness and animosity, Rivers said that Johnny would walk right by her in restaurants, never even looking in her direction and never acknowledging her presence. To their credit, Rivers said that Ed McMahon and Doc Severinsen never waivered, remaining courteous, friendly and professional towards her, despite the Carson feud.

Jay Leno: Why He Kept 'The Tonight Show' Ban On Joan ...

www.accesshollywood.com/jay-leno-why-he-kept-the-tonight-show-ban...

Joan Rivers was banned from appearing on 'The Tonight Show' in the late '80s following a falling out with Johnny Carson – so why did Jay Leno continue …

Jay Leno Exclusive: Why He Continued Joan Rivers' 'Tonight ...

www.accesshollywood.com/jay-leno-exclusive-why-he-continued-joan...

Jay Leno Exclusive: Why He Continued Joan Rivers' 'Tonight Show' Ban. ... Just this interview. Never one to sit still. Jay still does some 200 club dates a year.

==================================

Life's short. It all seems so silly; so trivial.

You'd think that Johnny Carson would've been proud to have said that he helped launch Joan Rivers' brilliant career and her multi-faceted success as a producer, director and entrepreneur. Instead, he considered her a traitorous backstabber because she was accepted FOX's offer for her own late night show after it had become abundantly clear that she'd never be made host of The Tonight Show after Carson eventually stepped down.

I'm not a Jimmy Fallon fan and haven't watched Tonight since Leno left, but you have to admire Fallon for ending three decades of stupidity by lifting the ban and inviting Joan Rivers on during his very first night as host.