Jay Leno‘s latest mishap has the internet spiraling into conspiracy theories worthy of a Netflix true-crime docuseries. The 74-year-old comedian recently took a jaw-dropping 60-foot tumble down a hill, leaving him bruised, battered, and sporting an eyepatch. His explanation? A nasty fall at a Hampton Inn. But internet sleuths are not buying it.
Speculation is running wild on X as armchair detectives have begun cooking up scenarios to satisfy their curious minds and make sense of what they think happened to the former late-night talk show host. Many theories are flying around, but one that stood out claims Leno is being targeted by loan sharks over “massive gambling debt.” It’s either that or the mafia is settling an old score.
Others surmised that someone could be holding a grudge on Leno because he has “dirt on them.” Other’s believe that this has all been orchestrated by none other than Conan O’Brien, out for revenge after what happened to his work on The Tonight Show.
Adding fuel to the conspiratorial fire, eagle-eyed X users pointed out the suspicious details in Leno’s story about his fall, like why would a man with a net worth of $450 million choose to stay at such a budget hotel? Considering his wealth, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to book a luxury suite or avail room service, at least, instead of climbing down a hill to grab dinner.
Many of the wannabe sleuths also linked Leno’s latest misfortune to his past accidents. Leno can’t seem to catch a break from the bad luck that’s been following him for the past three years or so. From the fiery explosion in his garage in 2022 to his motorcycle accident and now to his nasty tumble over the weekend, many believe there’s a pattern there that’s orchestrated by someone or a group of people.
Moments after Leno’s interview with Inside Edition’s Jim Moret was released on Wednesday, a number of people already pointed out that “something just ain’t adding up” about the TV personality’s recollection of events and some details in his story.
Now many social media users are convinced that he’s dealing with the brutal repercussions of being in debt to criminals. Sanity check for a moment: there’s zero evidence that the multimillionaire Hollywood star owes other people money and is in any kind of trouble.
Leno himself doesn’t even view the series of unfortunate events he’s been through as that bad. When he addressed the past two accidents he had via Page Six last year, he was brushing them off lightly because he was “recovering” so well. He also considered himself “luckier than most people” despite having to go through the hospital multiple times to treat his injuries.
For now, Leno’s “bad luck” remains the internet’s favorite (unsolved) mystery. Loan sharks? Mafia plots? Conan’s revenge? Maybe the truth really is stranger than fiction — or maybe, it’s just another case of the TV host laughing off life’s curveballs.