Maya Rudolph reveals she didn't have a good time during her Letterman interview: "He said my..."
David Letterman is widely viewed as one of the most celebrated talk show hosts in the industry. For more than three decades, Letterman has been synonymous with making his guests feel at home. However, there have also been times when, quite contrary to making guests feel comfortable, he has succeeded in doing the opposite. One such occasion was with actress and comedian Maya Rudolph, who was left dissapointed by Letterman after he mispronounced her name, prompting the actress to assert that she "did not have a good time."
In an interview with WSJ. Magazine in 2022, Rudolph reflected on her first appearance on 'The David Letterman Show' in 2009. The actress admitted that her appearance was not a positive experience, saying, "I did not have a good time." Recalling the experience, she shared, "He said my name wrong, and I just sat there, like, I grew up my whole life in love with you. And now my heart is broken. And I'm sitting here embarrassed and humiliated." Rudolph also admitted she struggled to handle the situation, adding, "I didn't know how to handle it. I didn't know how to come up with something funny to say. My public persona muscle wasn’t strong yet."
However, Rudolph did confess that she has become better at handling such situations in the last few years, saying, "I've gotten much better. When I'm uncomfortable, I try to be funny." In the viral video of the interview, Letterman is seen apologizing and talking responsibility for his action, saying, "I'm sorry that I mispronounced your name. I'm just a boob; there's no excuse for it, and from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize." Rudolph, at that moment, did seem to forgive him, thanking him before continuing the interview.
The Internet is up in arms, slamming the actresses for complaining about it under a Reddit thread. A comment reads, "Humiliated? From having your name pronounced wrong? What did he call her? Farts, Rudolph?" while another stated, "Sounds like an honest mistake by Letterman." Another opined, "I love Maya, but she could have just corrected him."
In a similar vein, another comment states, "Getting offended over someone mispronouncing your name is a privileged people problem."
Meanwhile, a comment reads, "Here's some advice: people are going to say your name wrong sometimes; get the f--k over yourself." While another states, "Said her f--king name wrong. 13 years ago." Another said, "There are plenty of ways you can cancel David Letterman without trying to because he said someone's name wrong." A comment blamed Rudolph for trying to make unnecessary headlines, saying, "This is probably some run-up manufactured drama because she's about to appear on his Netflix or whatever interview show. Don't be fooled by this idiotic pre-marketing."
On another occasion, Jessica Alba’s appearance on 'The David Letterman Show' also became a hot topic of discussion as she opened up about a challenging experience while filming a dance scene for her movie 'Honey.' The actress recounted feeling uneasy due to the nature of the scene, in which she wore a "tiny, little outfit," as per The Things. Letterman inquired further about her co-star and the outfit, even though it made Alba uncomfortable. He asked about the specifics of the outfit’s size and placement, quipping, "How tiny was it? Where was it tiny?," with Alba seemingly looking uncomfortable.