Being in late-night TV means you meet some of the most famous people in the world. That can come in handy when you need a favor, as one late-night star found out when he enlisted Taylor Swift to smooth over a road rage incident.
Swift has been a late-nigh TV mainstay since become a music superstar. She's sat down with Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel and been a frequent visitor to Saturday Night Live. Any host would be wise to keep a professional relationship with Swift considering her status and popularity.
That's exactly what Jay Leno did during his tenure as host of The Tonight Show. In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Leno shared how Swift helped him out of an awkward situation.
According to Leno, it all started with some road rage when a less-than-friendly driver started giving the comedian a hard time on the road. Leno responded by sizing up the other driver. "I said, 'Let me guess, 52 years old, fat, bald, divorced, your kids hate you, your job sucks.'"
The ex-Tonight Show host claimed the driver started crying, telling Leno that everything he said was true. A remorseful Leno pulled over and started a conversation with the other driver. Taylor Swift was booked on an upcoming episode, so Leno invited the man and his daughters to the show.
Leno gave Swift the details and she responded in typical Taylor Swift fashion. The man's daughters got some gifts from the music star and a once-in-a-lifetime meeting. For Leno, it was the chance to turn what could have been "an ugly situation" into a "funny story."
The story perfectly reflects the public personas of Jay Leno and Taylor Swift. Leno has built a reputation as slow to anger and accommodating, even in his comedy. And Swift takes care of her fans as well as anyone in music.