Did Stephen Colbert slam Jimmy Fallon over Conor McGregor interview? Viral video debunked

An unverified claim suggests that Stephen Colbert has allegedly slammed his longtime friend and fellow TV host, Jimmy Fallon. The unproven rumor recently surfaced amid the backlash against The Tonight Show host for interviewing Conor McGregor.

Colbert has not slammed Fallon for his recent interview with the controversial MMA fighter. The comedian-political commentator has neither made a social media post nor spoken to a media outlet to criticize Jimmy. The false claim originated from a YouTube video posted by the channel BLIPPIN.

The YouTuber spoke about the backlash the Conor McGregor interview received and asserted that Stephen Colbert posted the following comment online:

“Yeah I think it [the interview with McGregor] was a misstep”

No such comment from Colbert exists under any of Fallon’s posts. Jimmy Fallon previously appeared on the May 11 episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. It aired 10 days before the final episode of CBS’ TV program. The show retired after its finale titled “Hello, Goodbye!” on May 21, 2026.

For the uninitiated, Fallon accompanied fellow TV hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, who collectively hosted the Strike Force Five podcast with Colbert. The limited-series podcast remained on air between August and October 2023, but the team reunited for another episode on May 13.

Jimmy Fallon was also a guest on the March 5 episode of The Late Show. He serenaded Colbert with Stephen’s Way – a personalized version of Frank Sinatra’s My Way – highlighting the end of the latter’s show. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was canceled after CBS announced in July 2025 that it would not renew the show, citing “financial” reasons.

While Colbert hasn’t called out his friend, The Tonight Show host has been lambasted by the netizens as well as The Addams Family star Christina Ricci.

Christina Ricci recently criticized Jimmy Fallon for the Conor McGregor interview

The controversial MMA star’s recent appearance on The Tonight Show has drawn criticism online. Many internet users have called out Jimmy Fallon for giving a mainstream platform to McGregor, who has faced sexual assault allegations in the past.

The backlash stemmed from a 2024 case by the UFC fighter’s former hairstylist, Nikita Hand. She had accused Conor McGregor of r*ping and assaulting her at a Dublin, Ireland hotel in 2018. Hand was reportedly left with several bruises all over her body after the alleged incident.

Eventually, McGregor was found liable in a civil case by a jury at the High Court in Dublin. The MMA fighter was ordered to pay €248,603, while he maintained that his encounter with Nikita Hand was consensual. Conor McGregor appealed the decision, which was reportedly dismissed in 2025.

Many online users referenced the accusations against the MMA fighter and Jimmy Fallon’s non-confrontational behavior to criticize the latter. Christina Ricci didn’t issue a lengthy statement, but shared an Instagram post from user @mushroom.marauder on her Story. The post read:

“Conor McGregor raped a woman so brutally that the EMT who saw her commented on the severity of her bruising. She also had to have the tampon she was using when he r*ped her surgically removed, as it had been shoved so far inside her.”

The post continued:

“Why the absolute f*ck is this piece of human garbage being given a platform on Jimmy Fallon’s show? Shame on you, Jimmy.” 

The Instagram user captioned the post:

“We need to stop pretending like r*pe is OK. Men. What the f*ck are we doing here”

Jimmy Fallon’s recent X post also received numerous replies from angry fans. The TV host had posted:

“It’s officially that time of year when you have to start being really nice to your friend with a pool.” 

“Is that why you had Connor McGregor on your show?,” a user questioned. 

“You should invite Connor over for a swim in your pool. We all know you have one or two. Shameful that you had that creep on your show. Very poor decision on your part,” another user wrote. 

“I guess Connor McGregor has a pretty nice pool,” one user commented. 

“And we’re all guessing McGregor has a pool…,” another one added. 

The comments referenced Fallon’s friendly behavior towards McGregor, while criticizing him. The Tonight Show host has yet to react to the criticism publicly.