Larry David appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers and said he had absolutely no regrets about physically assaulting Elmo during a live broadcast on The Today Show.
Last Thursday, the Curb Your Enthusiasm star couldn't manage his irritability towards the optimistic muppet, who was on the NBC program to discuss mental health awareness with his father.
Elmo was "checking in" with the community responding to his viral post on X (formerly Twitter) that asked how everybody was doing when David interrupted the poignant moment and wrung the red muppet's neck and attempted to punch his father in the face as the segment was cutting to Al Roker's weather report.
You can watch the Today Show crew recoiling in shock from the muppet abuse in the clip below.
Later in the segment, David unenthusiastically apologized for his behavior, and when Elmo accepted the apology, David in turn mocked his response in the character's signature falsetto, "Oh, thank you so much."
When Seth Meyers later confronted David on his Late Night show about the bizarre incident earlier on the Today Show, he admitted:
"Yeah, yeah. I did it. Yeah."
The 76-year-old, who was on Late Night to promote the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, continued:
"Elmo was talking. I was waiting to be interviewed."
David explained in Elmo's high-pitched voice how the muppet was "going on about mental health, and I had to listen to every word."
He continued with the same voice:
"And I was going, ‘Oh, my God, oh, my God, I don’t think I could take another second of this, and I got off my chair...'”
Switching to his normal speaking voice, David said he approached Elmo and "throttled him."
"There you go," he said. "I couldn't take it."
You can watch the unremorseful actor recounting his behavior with Seth Meyers, as the audience can be heard nervously laughing, here.
Larry David on Attacking Elmo on the TODAY Showyoutu.be
The actor added:
"And you know what? I'd do it again."
Larry, are you okay? The community wants to know.
@LateNightSeth I don't find it offensive but it was pretty weird and not particularly funny.\n\nElmo handled it very well though and the apology and Elmo's mature apology acceptance in a weird way comedically saved a not great bit.— (@)
@LateNightSeth If Larry had a therapist it outta be Seth— (@)
Others found no humor in the situation.
@LateNightSeth @sethmeyers I don\u2019t appreciate your response. I do not appreciate your show promoting \u201cI\u2019d do it again\u201d\u2026 I\u2019ve never disagreed w/your production choices, but to make this is a clip is heartbreaking. If it was done on your show, fine, maybe some humor, but it was done on day time.— (@)
Curb Your Enthusiasm was created by David, who plays a fictionalized version of himself in the series as a semi-retired TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles.
The Emmy-nominated show and Golden Globe winner was renewed for a twelfth and final season, which premiered on February 4, 2024.
You can watch all the episodes on Max.
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