Here's What James Corden Said About His Restaurant Ban

Anyone who follows celeb news is likely up to date on the scandal that recently came to light between TV host James Corden and Balthazar, a popular eatery in New York City. For those who somehow missed the news, the popular actor and "The Late Late Show" host recently got in a kerfuffle with Balthazar over several instances in which Corden was accused of being incredibly and overtly rude to their waitstaff.

According to an Instagram post, in one instance, Corden reportedly claimed he found a hair in his meal, and despite the manager's apologies, started yelling at the waiters and demanding compensation for the incident in the form of comped drinks. Another issue came up when he visited with his wife and her order was messed up twice. Corden is said to have yelled at the server as a result, hurling insults in frustration. After several instances, the owner, Keith McNally, decided to ban Corden from the NYC restaurant. However, 24 hours after the banning, McNally lifted the ban and allowed Corden back in after saying he received a phone call from the actor with a legitimate apology. 

McNally was quick to speak out after the James Corden incident, taking to Instagram to air his thoughts about the situation, starting with a mix of ill will towards Corden and then feelings of empathy for him. But Corden was a bit slower to comment. However, in a recent People article, it's explained that Corden shared his thoughts with The New York Times — and they did not seem close to apologetic.

In an interview with NYT about an upcoming Prime Video movie in which Corden is starring, the incident naturally came up. Corden not only lashed out at the publication, saying that content is "beneath you," but claimed, "it's all so silly." According to Corden, "I haven't done anything wrong, on any level" (per People). And you can bet your bottom dollar McNally read this and had something to say.

In a separate Instagram post, the Balthazar owner angrily exclaimed that the mere idea that Corden did nothing wrong must be a joke, explaining that though he did not witness the incidents, they were relayed to him by reliable staff who had nothing to gain by doing so. He went on to share his hope that Corden will "come clean" and "admit he did something wrong," and even more so, that he "apologizes to the 2 servers he insulted."

Corden finally discussed his side of the story on "The Late Late Show" this week. Starting off his explanation with a joke about being unplugged during the past week, Corden got serious as he explained why he was dodging questions about the drama. "When these sorts of moments come my way I like to adopt a sort of British attitude of, you know, keep calm and carry on. Things are going to get written about me, never complain, never explain" (per YouTube).

He went on to talk about the most recent incident that got him banned from the Balthazar, explaining that his wife has a serious allergy and she kept receiving a dish that contained food that she was allergic to, and she had sent it back three times. "In the heat of the moment, I made a sarcastic rude comment about cooking it myself. It's a comment I deeply regret."

The talk show host went on to explain that he didn't make a scene in the restaurant, so he had assumed it wasn't a big deal, but later realized he was rude to the server. He said that he learned about the ban on Instagram, after restaurant owner Keith McNally mentioned two incidents of Corden being rude. According to Corden, the two talked on the phone and he apologized profusely. "I said to the owner, I hate that I upset anybody ever, it was never my intention."