David Letterman never banned guests — until he caught one huge star stealing from Meryl Streep
Even the most famous talk shows secretly ban celebrities. That happened with Barbara Walters, who wasn’t a fan of Kathy Griffin, though she never made it public, as per Nicki Swift. That wasn’t the only case. Conan O'Brien had to temporarily ban Dax Shepard after an interview went off the rails when Dax slurred his words and even fell over Conan’s desk. On the other hand, Kyle and Jackie O banned Matt LeBlanc for a different reason. They said the actor gave them nothing interesting during their interview. David Letterman also banned a guest from 'The Late Show', but only one.
Over the years, there were many uncomfortable interviews on his show. One involved an audience member shouting at Oprah about a "devil-worshipping" story from her show. She wasn’t happy with the fan or with Letterman’s reaction, which led to years of tension between them. However, one of the most awkward interviews ever was with Crispin Glover. At one point, he tried to kick Letterman in the head on live TV. Letterman looked uncomfortable and quickly cut to a commercial to calm things down. Still, none of these guests were banned. The only person who was permanently banned was filmmaker Harmony Korine, Vanity Fair reported. And you wonder why?
James Franco appeared on 'The Late Show' and asked Letterman to finally reveal the reason for the ban. Franco said his friend once told him he was banned for pushing Streep backstage. "Harmony is a very sane guy now, a great artist and great person to work with, but I think he had a period where he was going a little off the rails, so maybe he was on something that night." Letterman then shared the real story for the first time. "I went upstairs to greet Meryl Streep and welcome her to the show, and I knock on the door … and she was not in there," he said. "And I looked around, and she was not in there, and I found Harmony going through her purse. True story. And so I said, 'That's it, put her things back in her bag and then get out.'" Now, Letterman said he would be happy to have Korine back on his show, as per The Guardian.
Korine was on 'The Late Show' in the late 1990s, a time when he was struggling with drug addiction, using crack and heroin. During that period, two of his homes also burned down under unclear circumstances. Korine, who wrote the controversial film 'Kids' at just 19, has spoken about that difficult time in his life. In a 2008 interview with The New York Magazine, he said, "I felt pretty debased and lost. I became like a tramp. I wasn't delusional. I didn't think I was going to be OK. I thought: 'This might be the end.' I'd read enough books. I knew where this story ended. The story finishes itself."
Korine later admitted that he was struggling with personal issues at the time. He further added, "I became like a tramp. I wasn't delusional. I didn't think I was going to be OK. I thought, 'This might be the end.' I'd read enough books. I knew where this story ended. The story finishes itself." Despite this, he was popular among Letterman’s audience. His ‘90s interviews often sparked discussion due to his unconventional way of thinking, with fans on YouTube frequently requesting old clips in the comments on Letterman’s videos.