Fri May 09 04:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Leno Takes Blame for Kimmel’s Infamous 2010 Roast: “It Was My Mistake”
**LOS ANGELES** – Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno has publicly accepted responsibility for a long-simmering feud with Jimmy Kimmel, stemming from a contentious 2010 interview. Speaking on the podcast “In Depth With Graham Bensinger,” Leno revealed he allowed Kimmel to publicly mock him for his controversial return to the Tonight Show after Conan O’Brien’s brief tenure.
The infamous segment saw Kimmel jokingly referencing Leno’s decision to reclaim the show after initially stepping down, delivering a pointed jab about promises broken. Leno, appearing on Bensinger’s podcast, admitted, “When Kimmel came on my show and humiliated me on my own show, I let it happen. I didn’t edit it. It was my mistake. I trusted somebody.”
The incident ignited a years-long feud during the highly competitive “late-night wars.” Leno acknowledged the lasting impact, stating, “It’s not good TV for me because it started a whole thing that continues to this day.”
However, the two have since reconciled, with Leno reaching out to Kimmel in 2017 following a family medical emergency. While Leno still expresses a degree of reservation about Kimmel’s actions, he ultimately concluded, “He’s a comic. You do what you gotta do. I mean, I wouldn’t have done it, but that’s okay.” The interview marks a renewed public discussion of the long-standing conflict, with Leno taking ownership of his role in the infamous exchange.
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