James Corden is no longer banned from the famed New York City restaurant Balthazar, after being put on blast this week by Keith McNally, the restauranteur who also owns Manhattan staples Pastis, Minetta and Tavern. According to McNally, the late night host “profusely apologized” for his actions.
On Monday, McNally publicly shamed Corden on Instagram, calling him “a tiny Cretin of a man” and “the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago.” The restauranteur used the post to list two occasions which sparked the decision to “86” Corden, adding that the late-night host behaved similarly in his former restaurant, Cafe Luxembourg, several years prior to the incidents in the post.
But on Monday night, McNally posted an update, saying that Corden had owned up to his actions and asked for forgiveness, and that the ban against him was no longer in effect.
“James Corden just called me and apologized profusely. Having f—ed up myself more than most people, I strongly believe in second chances,” McNally wrote. “So if James Corden lets me host his Late Late Show for 9 months, I’ll immediately rescind his ban from Balthazar.”
McNally clarified that he was joking about that particular stipulation, but not about the ban being rescinded.
“Anyone magnanimous enough to apologize to a deadbeat layabout like me (and my staff) doesn’t deserve to be banned from anywhere. Especially Balthazar,” he added.
You can see McNally’s full message of forgiveness in the post below.