Jimmy Fallon: 'I Was Embarrassed' By Bachmann Intro Music Scandal (VIDEO)

WATCH: Fallon Opens Up About Bachmann Scandal



The recent mini-scandal that erupted after Michele Bachmann appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to the song "Lying Ass Bitch" played by house band The Roots ended without Fallon saying anything but an apologetic tweet on the matter. On Monday night's "Rock Center," Fallon told host Brian Williams that he was "embarrassed" by the episode and "wanted it to go away" at the time.

Williams frequently appears on "Late Night" for the popular segment Slow Jam the News, so Fallon was in safe haven on "Rock Center" to make his first extended statement about the scandal, which was resolved with an NBC executive privately apologizing to Bachmann.

When Williams pressed Fallon on the validity of Bachmann's claim that Michelle Obama would not have been treated as such, Fallon responded that the point was fair.

"I guess so? Sure? I don't think anyone... If it's Brian Williams on our show, he should not be treated like that. I was embarrassed by that, and I wanted it to go away. I called her numerous times to apologize and then I didn't hear back from her that day, so then I talked to her the next day and she said, [adopts Bachmann voice] 'I had a kick on your show. I had a kick on your show. I just don't know why [Roots bandleader] Questlove played [that song].' I said, 'I'm so sorry, and he'll call and apologize. He's been yelled at by his mother.' ... He felt bad, he felt really bad."

Questlove recently told Pitchfork Media that the walk-on song was "absolutely not" worth it, and that "[i]t deeply offended a lot of women's groups and non-Bachmann supporters, and for that I'm deeply sorry." He also said that he had been the target of numerous racial epithets during the resulting fallout.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot