Balthazar owner Keith McNally challenges James Corden to ‘apologize to the young servers he abused’

Restauranteur Keith McNally has challenged talk show host James Corden to ‘apologize to the young servers he abused’ after the host made a reversal and snapped at a New York Times reporter about the incident.

Corden, who made headlines this week for getting blacklisted from Balthazar in New York City, broke his silence as he told the NY Times journalist that speaking about the ordeal was ‘beneath your publication.’

The reporter, Dave Itzkoff, appeared grateful Corden hadn’t called off the interview to which the comedian responded: ‘I haven’t done anything wrong, on any level. So why would I ever cancel this? I was there. I get it. 

‘I feel so Zen about the whole thing. Because I think it’s so silly. I just think it’s beneath all of us. It’s beneath you. It’s certainly beneath your publication.’ 

McNally appears to have responded to the interview in a new Instagram post, writing: ‘I have no wish to kick a man when he’s down, but I believe the best way for James Corden to retrieve some of the vast respect the public had for him before this incident is to own up to it and apologize to the young servers he abused’ and added that ‘Whatever Corden meant, his implication was clear: he didn’t do it.’

The Balthazar owner then declared that ‘if he’s big enough’ to do so, Corden can eat free at the New York hotspot for the rest of the year. 

McNally even doubled down, saying: ‘If he goes one step further and apologizes to the 2 servers he insulted, I’ll let him eat for free at Balthazar for the next 10 years.’

Restauranteur Keith McNally has challenged talk show host James Corden to ‘apologize to the young servers he abused’ after the host made a reversal and snapped at a New York Times reporter about the incident

McNally appears to have responded to the interview in another Instagram post, writing: ‘I have no wish to kick a man when he’s down, but I believe the best way for James Corden to retrieve some of the vast respect the public had for him before this incident is to own up to it and apologize to the young servers he abused’ and added that ‘Whatever Corden meant, his implication was clear: he didn’t do it’ 

 

DailyMail.com has reached out to McNally for further comment.  

The interview was conducted on Thursday morning at another pricey restaurant on the Upper East Side. Itzkoff asked if the Tony award-winner, who earns $36million a year, was ‘all right’.

‘About what? What do you mean?’ Corden responded coyly. 

Corden compared the media response to his bad behavior to a school principal helping classroom bullies.

‘The principal makes the decision to stand up and say, ‘I’d like all of those bullies to come up onto the stage and say, into the microphone, what they’ve just been saying in the hallway over there,’ he told the publication. 

Corden was banned from the NYC restaurant on Monday after owner Keith McNally revealed he berated staff at his restaurant – and a day later, he revoked that ban the Late Late Show house called him to apologize.  

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Talk-show host James Corden has snapped once again, this time at a reporter for the New York Times who was interviewing about his latest project for Amazon

Corden says he believes the media has simply over-egged the story. James Corden and Julia Carey seen having lunch at Scott’s restaurant in Mayfair on June 27, 2018 in London, England

As the interview about his latest project for Amazon Prime Video took place at the Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges, a patron could be heard getting frosty with a server over her egg order.

‘Happens every day. It’s happening in 55,000 restaurants as we speak. It’s always about eggs,’ Corden said. 

‘Can you imagine now, if we just blasted her on Twitter? Would that be fair? This is my point. It’s insane,’ he continued.

When asked by Itzkoff if he was even aware of the conversations being printed about him as a result of McNally’s Instagram posts, Corden appeared oblivious. 

‘I haven’t really read anything. It’s strange. It’s strange when you were there. I think I’m probably going to have to talk about it on Monday’s show. 

‘My feeling, often, is, never explain, never complain. But I’ll probably have to talk about it,’ he said to the New York Times. ‘It feels like such a silly thing to talk about,’ he added.

Corden says he believes the media has simply over-egged the story.

‘Should we not all be a little grown-up about this?’, he asked Itzkoff. ‘I promise you, ask around this restaurant. They don’t know about this. Maybe 15 percent of people. 

‘I’ve been here, been walking around New York, not one person’s come up to me. We’re dealing in two worlds here.’ 

DailyMail.com has contacted Corden’s representatives.  

Corden appeared to lash out at New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff over the omelet incident

Julia Carey wife of James Corden is pictured outside their home in Los Angeles on Thursday

James Corden’s wife, Julia Carey, is spotted in LA outside the family  home on Thursday while her husband conducted media interview for his new Amazon Prime Project 

The saga began on Monday when McNally, who has a colorful history of booting out celebrities from his exclusive restaurants, claimed Corden behaved badly at his former restaurant, Cafe Luxembourg, on several occasions and left one server ‘shaken’.

McNally then posted two separate examples of Corden’s ‘extremely nasty’ behavior at Balthazar, the French brasserie. 

The 71-year-old started his post by calling the funnyman a ‘hugely gifted comedian’, before laying into Corden.

The furious owner said that he ’86’d’ – banned – the star and claims Corden found a hair in his main course when dining there in June, before demanding free drinks for the mistake. 

Restaurateur Keith McNally, 71, banned the Late Late Show host from his restaurants because of his ‘extremely nasty’ treatment of staff – only to rescind the ban hours later

The popular French eatery Balthazar, in New York’s SoHo district, is pictured on Monday

Balthazar’s owner, Keith McNally, regularly shares updates from his staff – including, on Monday, excoriating James Corden for his behavior

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The restaurant, pictured on Monday, is a popular spot for celebrities, tourists and locals alike

Corden and his wife Julia Carey are accused of sending back an egg yolk omelette because it had a ‘little bit of egg white’ in it while dining at the plush restaurant 

He said: ‘After eating his main course, Corden showed the hair to Balthazar manager G. who was very apologetic. 

‘Corden was extremely nasty to G, and said: ‘Get us another round of drinks this second. And also take care of all of our drinks so far. This way I write any nasty reviews in yelp or anything like that.”

In a second incident, McNally claims that Corden was dining with his wife, Julia Carey, at the eatery on October 9 for brunch. 

He says that Corden asked for a table outside, and wife Carey ordered an egg yolk omelet with a salad. 

The couple complained to the server that there was ‘a little bit of egg white mixed with the egg yolk’ and sent the dish back. 

McNally added: ‘The kitchen remade the dish but unfortunately sent it with home fries instead of salad. 

‘That’s when James Corden began yelling like crazy to the server: ‘You can’t do your job! You can’t do your job! Maybe I should go into the kitchen and cook the omelet myself!’ 

Tony-award winning Corden has risen to fame over the past ten years after moving across the pond, and becoming famed for his cheeky smile and stream of A-list pals 

Balthazar in New York’s Soho is a much loved celebrity haunt, but the British funnyman has now been banned from dining there

‘M.K (server) was very apologetic and brought G. (floor manager) over to the table. 

‘He returned the dish, and after that, everything was fine.  He gave them promo Champagne glasses to smooth things out. 

‘G. said that Corden was pleasant to him but nasty to the server. M.K. was very shaken, but professional that she is, continued to finish her shift.’

Corden will not stay on at The Late Late Show after his current contract ends next year – a decision that was made earlier this year, long before the Balthazar saga. 

Corden is well known for his provocative and at times strange behavior.

In 2017, as the Harvey Weinstein scandal was just being published, Corden joked and made fun of the rapist’s victims.

‘It has been weird this week watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water,’ he told a gala in New York City. 

‘Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath, it’s weird watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water.’

He later apologized, tweeting: ‘To be clear, sexual assault is no laughing matter. I was not trying to make light of Harvey’s inexcusable behavior, but to shame him, the abuser, not his victims. I am truly sorry for anyone offended, that was never my intention.’

At the end of 2019, he ridiculed the technical team behind the film Cats, in which he starred.

‘I haven’t seen it, I’ve heard it’s terrible,’ he told a British radio show, and then told the Oscars audience while presenting an award: ‘As cast members of the motion picture Cats, nobody more than us understands the importance of good visual effects.’

In September 2021, while promoting his film Cinderella, he dressed as a mouse and danced in a road, thrusting his groin at bemused drivers.

Corden was accompanied by Camila Cabello, who plays the lead role, and Billy Porter, as a character called Fab G.

At one point Corden seemed to take a drag on what looked like a spliff, before dancing some more. 

In July this year, he was knocked off his bicycle in London by a fellow cyclist, who swerved in front of him on busy Regent’s Street, nearly pushing Corden into a car.

The comedian was furious, and loudly berated the young bike ride who cut him up. 

Corden, in his mouse suit, is seen with Camila Cabello and Billy Porter in a street performance to promote his new film, on August 27, 2021

Corden gyrates at bemused motorists in Los Angeles, in August 2021, to promote his new film, Cinderella

The British comedian is pictured with Cabello, who plays Cinderella, and Billy Porter, whose character is called Fab G

Balthazar owner Keith McNally made a raunchy Instagram post detailing how a couple used the men’s room at the swanky NYC restaurant as their private sexual oasis over the long Fourth of July weekend

McNally claims a couple had sex in the bathroom before scurrying off, leaving behind a wedding ring. The ring has since been placed in lost and found

McNally on Monday banned Corden from his restaurant but then later reversed it after saying he had spoken to the actor on the phone.

He had told how Corden had been rude to his staff several times – berating them over a hair in his food and demanding free drinks during the summer.

Meanwhile on October 9 he furiously reprimanded the waiters over an omelet he was unhappy with.

Four hours after announcing the ban to his 87,000 Instagram followers, McNally promptly reversed it, saying he had received a call from Corden apologizing.

The fiery restaurateur posted a new photo on Tuesday night captioned: ‘Feeling strange about the James Corden thing. On the one hand, he was definitely abusive to my staff, on the other hand, I feel really sorry for him right now.

‘Like most cowards I want it both ways.’ He concluded: ‘F*** it, I’m going to get drunk.’