Jimmy Fallon is facing renewed backlash after hosting Conor McGregor on his late-night show, with critics accusing him of platforming a convicted rapist. The controversy has also resurfaced a 2016 interview where Fallon ruffled Donald Trump's hair, drawing parallels between the two incidents.
Fallon criticized for McGregor interview
The UFC fighter, 37, appeared on The Tonight Show despite being found liable in a 2024 civil case for the 2018 rape of Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel. Doctors described her injuries as 'moderate to severe,' including bruises on all four limbs, a bloodied scratch on her breast, tenderness to her neck, and a tampon that had been shoved so far inside her it required forceps for removal. Viewers took to social media to express outrage, labeling Fallon 'spineless' and 'pathetic.'
Old Trump clip resurfaces
In response to the backlash, user parasocialyte on X posted a clip from 2016 showing Fallon messing up Trump's hair, noting that this is not the first time Fallon has angered viewers. 'Well that’s not particularly anything new for Jimmy Fallon,' they wrote. In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll in a civil trial. At the time, Fallon was accused of 'humanising and normalising' Trump.
Fallon's past defense
Fallon later addressed the Trump incident, telling The New York Times, 'I didn’t do it to humanise him. I almost did it to minimise him.' He added, 'I didn’t think that would be a compliment: “He did the thing that we all wanted to do.”' In a subsequent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Fallon said the situation got 'bigger and out of control,' and he felt comedians mocked him. 'Of all the people in the world, I’m one of the good people,' he said.
Current backlash continues
Fallon has yet to address the McGregor controversy, choosing not to mention it on his most recent episode. Critics, including actress Christina Ricci, have condemned the decision. Ricci reposted a statement on Instagram reading, 'Conor McGregor raped a woman so brutally... why the absolute f**k is this piece of human garbage being given a platform on Jimmy Fallon’s show? Shame on you Jimmy.' Fallon has been accused of trying to bury the interview by posting other clips on social media.
