Jimmy Fallon was caught off guard earlier this week when actress Isabela Merced brought up his much-discussed, awkward encounter with Nicole Kidman during an appearance on The Tonight Show.
According to People, the May 20 episode reignited public interest in Fallon’s legendary misread of Kidman’s romantic intentions, first revealed during a viral 2015 segment on his show.
Merced, a guest promoting her latest projects, steered the conversation in an unexpected direction while chatting with Fallon about the video game franchise The Last of Us. She had mentioned the game just after Fallon recalled that its creators had previewed it during a 2012 segment on his former program, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, ahead of the game’s 2013 launch.
Amused by the connection, Merced asked whether The Last of Us was the same game Fallon had been playing during his uncomfortable date years ago with Australian star Nicole Kidman. Fallon, visibly embarrassed, corrected her, saying it was Mario Kart instead — and jokingly bristled at the mention.
“No, we were playing Mario Kart. But thanks for bringing it up,” Fallon said, before mockingly trying to cut to commercial, quipping, “It’s a pleasure meeting you, we’re out of time. We’ve had a great Tonight Show — one of the best ones we’ve ever done!”
He later admitted, more seriously, that the memory remains “the most embarrassing” episode of his dating life, years after the original on-air revelation took viewers by storm.
The origin of the tale dates back to an unforgettable 2015 segment in which Nicole Kidman appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show and dropped a surprise bombshell on Fallon. She shared that a mutual friend once told her Fallon was interested in meeting her, encouraging her to visit his apartment while she was single at the time.
“Our mutual friend was like, ‘Oh, Jimmy wants to meet you,’” Kidman told Fallon during the broadcast. “And I’m single, and I’m like, ‘Okay, yeah. Cool.” Fallon, visibly stunned, responded, “Wait! What are you talking about? Did I date Nicole Kidman? Did we go on a date?”
According to Kidman, the visit to Fallon’s apartment was marked by confusion and a lack of chemistry. She described Fallon as wearing a baseball cap and barely engaging in conversation, opting instead to put on a video game while she sat awkwardly nearby.
Kidman said the situation led her to wonder if Fallon simply wasn’t interested in her. She even speculated aloud on the show whether he was possibly gay, citing his silence and detached behavior during their almost hour-and-a-half meeting.
“You wouldn’t talk at all,” Kidman said. “So after about an hour and a half, I thought, ‘He has no interest, this is so embarrassing.’ And then I was like, ‘Maybe he’s gay.’”
Fallon could hardly believe what he was hearing, covering his face and laughing as he tried to make sense of the missed opportunity. He joked, “I can’t believe I dated Nicole Kidman. This is fantastic!”
The 2015 segment quickly became one of the show’s most viral hits, gaining widespread attention across social media. Isabela Merced, during her recent appearance, reminded Fallon that more than 63 million viewers had watched that original clip.
The exchange between Kidman and Fallon became an internet sensation, not only for its sheer awkwardness but also for its genuine surprise and humor. It has since lived on as a recurring pop culture moment for fans of late-night comedy.
Fallon has occasionally referenced it over the years, but rarely with the same unfiltered emotion that the 2015 episode captured. The memory remains a humorous badge of honor in his career.
Fallon admitted back then that his apartment at the time didn’t lend itself well to romantic connections. “Video games and sneakers” were essentially all he had, he deadpanned during the 2015 conversation, implying that any matchmaking attempts were bound to be derailed from the start.
The remainder of this misadventure on May 20 served not only as comic relief but also as a nostalgic moment for returning Tonight Show viewers. It highlighted how a seemingly minor social misstep became one of Fallon’s most enduring stories.
As Fallon and Merced moved on to lighter topics, the host appeared grateful for the laughter, if slightly exasperated by the renewed interest in one of his most famous dating blunders. Nevertheless, the moment once again gave The Tonight Show a viral lift.
