Jimmy Fallon Admits He Ruined a Date with Nicole Kidman by Playing Mario Kart

Thanks to ‘Mario Kart’, Jimmy Fallon has revealed the amusing and somewhat upsetting tale of how he unintentionally destroyed a possible date with Nicole Kidman.

When Nicole Kidman made her first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2015, she left Fallon visibly stunned by revealing they had once been part of a low-key setup arranged by a mutual friend.  Kidman, who was single at the time, was willing to meet  Jimmy Fallon in the hopes that a romantic connection might develop.  Fallon, on the other hand, had misinterpreted the encounter as a business gathering to discuss a part in the 2005 movie ‘Bewitched’.

Kidman claims that the visit to  Jimmy Fallon's flat was uncomfortable right from the beginning.  He hardly spoke, put on a baseball cap, and then switched on a video game.  She determined he wasn't interested after they sat through almost 90 minutes of gaming and quiet, and she left, calling the entire situation "so embarrassing."  Fallon was noticeably surprised by the narrative and subsequently described it as one of the most embarrassing experiences of his life.  Since then, the video has received over 63 million views on YouTube.

Image Courtesy: NME

During her ‘Tonight Show’ appearance recently, actress Isabela Merced brought the topic back into the public eye.   Jimmy Fallon described ‘The Last of Us’ as the scariest video game he has ever played throughout their conversation.  When he botched his date with Kidman, Merced couldn't help but wonder if that was the game he had been playing.   Jimmy Fallon blushed and laughed as he explained that ‘Mario Kart’ was the one who had actually ruined his date.

 As Nintendo prepares to release ‘Mario Kart World’, an open-world version of the venerable franchise, next month along with the ‘Nintendo Switch 2’, the gaming industry has taken on a new life. 

  Jimmy Fallon's ‘Mario Kart’ mishap ultimately became a cultural phenomenon and a humorous reminder that even a late-night celebrity can have a date go horribly wrong in the most personal way.

–Farheen Ali