Woman beaten by Cincinnati mob speaks out after near-death attack: ‘Would do it again’
CINCINNATI, OH – The woman seen being violently slammed to the ground in now-viral footage of a brutal beatdown in downtown Cincinnati is speaking out after being forced into hiding following her near-death experience that was seen nationwide.
Holly, an Ohio native and single mother of three, was enjoying a night out celebrating a friend’s birthday when she called an Uber to head home. As she was waiting for her ride, several fights broke out on the corner of Fourth and Elm Streets in the city’s downtown area around 3 a.m. on July 26.
Footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows an unidentified man yelling racial slurs while being beaten in the street. Additional video of the scene shows the male victim slapping a member of the group seconds before the fight escalated.
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“And then that’s when everyone, like a pack of wolves, just jumped in and started attacking,” Holly said.
“I heard a man crying on the street, [and] he looked at me and held out his hand,” Holly said. “And [he] literally said, ‘Please, God, help me. Help me please, God.’ You can’t hear it in any of the videos because all you can hear is everybody on the street cheering each other on to curb-stomp these people, and to kick them and punch them and attack them while they were down.”
Bystander footage shows Holly running between two men as the fight broke out, in an attempt to stop the brutal beating.
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“I felt it was necessary to at least jump in, and try to help and save this man’s life,” Holly said. “It looked like they were about to kill him, to me. And that’s why I couldn’t stand there and do nothing.”
“It was just ungodly. I cannot shake the images. It goes on a loop over and over. It keeps replaying. It was very traumatic.”
In the chaos, Holly was viciously slammed to the ground.
“I remember being afraid, terrified,” Holly told Fox News Digital. “I just remember my life flashing before my eyes, and all I can think is, ‘Dear God, I hope my children know that I love them.’”
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Video of the incident shows the single mother laying unconscious on the asphalt as blood pours from her mouth, with another individual eventually coming over to help her up. She quickly retreated to her Uber and went home, where she “slept off her concussion.”
WATCH: Video of the racial slur yelled during the Cincinnati beatdown emerges
“The next day when I woke up, my whole face was black and blue and swollen,” Holly said. “I remember trying to take a drink and everything poured out because it was so swollen.”
Holly recalled thinking she looked like a “horrible monster” upon seeing her face in the mirror, adding that the memory “haunts” her.
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WATCH:
On Thursday, Holly told The Ingraham Angle that police never took a statement from her after the widely circulated assault. Fox News Digital has made multiple attempts in the last week to contact the Cincinnati Police Department for comment on the incident.
“It definitely didn’t seem like an incident. It seemed like a beat down. I look at it as attempted murder. I mean, there’s no other way to describe it,” Holly told Laura Ingraham Thursday.
“And I have yet to receive a phone call, from her or the mayor just apologizing for what happened and for letting these thugs and criminals run the streets when they should have been in jail to begin with.”
Upon realizing the severity of her injuries, Holly drove herself to a local hospital where doctors diagnosed her with a severe concussion, along with neurological damage and injuries to her vision. The extent of her long-term physical injuries remain unknown as she continues to heal while visiting numerous medical specialists.
However, the psychological impacts will follow her for the rest of her life.
“I’m having someone help take care of me financially, mentally and physically,” Holly said. “It’s very humbling, it’s very embarrassing to not be able to just be able to hang out by myself. I think that’s the scary part, to not know just how deep the damage is going to be.”
VIDEO OF RACIAL SLUR YELLED DURING THE BRUTAL CINCINNATI BEATDOWN EMERGES
Following her near-death experience, Holly has been forced into hiding as she recovers from her life-altering injuries. She has received online threats and was the target of thieves looking to scam an online fundraiser created on her behalf.
Despite the hurdles, Holly is trying to find a silver-lining in an attack that almost ended her life.
She is working alongside Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-OH, to introduce “Holly’s Act,” aimed at keeping violent criminals from being released onto the streets of Ohio.
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“We’re going to talk to some of our state legislators to see if we can put something in place that I call — with her permission — ‘Holly’s Act,’ which is how we raise the bar on minimum sentences, minimum bail requirements,” Moreno said at a press conference Wednesday. “We’re going to end the revolving door of injustice.”
“Let’s be honest, because a lot of times you guys are qualifying this as a brawl,” Moreno added. “This was attempted murder of an innocent woman. And that person had a rap sheet a mile long. Nobody who has that rap sheet should be walking the streets of any Ohio city free.”
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Additionally, Holly is hoping to implement a law that would penalize bystanders who do not call authorities in a life or death situation in an effort to hold the public accountable for not stepping in.
LISTEN: Emergency dispatch audio captures aftermath of brutal Cincinnati street attack
“I’ve seen so many times where people just get out their phones and they start recording,” Holly told Fox News Digital. “Ijust think how many lives can be saved, or how many heinous crimes can be prevented by just having to call 911 first.”
Moreno did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
CINCINNATI BEATDOWN VICTIM REVEALS ‘VERY BAD BRAIN TRAUMA’ IN FIRST REMARKS SINCE VIRAL ASSAULT
Cincinnati Police Chief Theresa Theetge previously revealed that of the approximately 100 bystanders present for the fight, only one person called authorities to ask for help.
“If somebody had called 911, then there’s no way that I would have needed to jump in,” Holly said.
“I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing that I watched somebody die in front of me and I could have helped save them,” Holly told Fox News Digital. “So even though I’m enduring pain and possible issues [for the rest of my life], I still would do it again to protect someone and save their life.”
The Cincinnati Clerk of Council Office declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Police have arrested six individuals in connection with the brutal beating. Patrick Rosemond, 38, Jermaine Matthews, 39, Montianez Merriweather, 34, DeKyra Vernon, 24, Dominique Kittle, 37, and Aisha Devaughn, 25 are facing various charges for their alleged roles in the attack that ultimately left six people injured.
“I think our nation has finally started coming together and stopped saying things as black or white, Democrat or Republican, American versus foreign. And I think that now they’ve gone, they’re coming together to unify and start saying, ‘You know what, let’s stop talking about the past, and pointing fingers and projecting onto everyone else.’ Let’s start taking accountability and figure out how to move forward, and make sure this doesn’t ever happen to someone’s mother, daughter, loved one.”
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As Holly focuses on her road to recovery, she hopes the attack that left her battered and bruised will serve as a catalyst for change on a local, state and national level.
“Let’s make sure no one else is the next Holly, if you will,” Holly told Fox News Digital. “I hope it ends with me, because I hope we do start staffing the police properly. I hope people start doing the right thing as citizens and just be good people.”
‘No safe harbor for criminals’: White House deploys federal forces to combat DC crime
President Donald Trump has directed federal law enforcement to increase its presence throughout Washington, D.C., following a concerning surge in violent crime, including an incident in which a former DOGE worker nicknamed “Big Balls” was brutally beaten in the streets this week.
Trump signed an executive order in March establishing the “Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force.” Now the administration is taking a whole-of-government approach by deploying additional law enforcement to increase presence and improve overall public safety in the nation’s capital city, according to a source familiar with the plans.
The operation, which will use both local and federal law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, DEA and others, begins at midnight on Thursday and will initially last for seven days with the option to extend “as needed.”
Law enforcement will focus on improving safety in high-traffic tourist areas and other known hotspots.
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In a statement to Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced “there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.” beginning on Thursday night.
“Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” Leavitt said. “President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.”
She added, “President Trump is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world.”
The source familiar with the plans noted that stamping out the “out-of-control violent crime plaguing DC” has been an “ongoing priority” for the president and that the move is him delivering on his campaign promise to restore the capital city.
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Among the priorities laid out in Trump’s executive order, he directed the task force to deploy a more robust federal law enforcement presence and coordinate with local law enforcement in the District of Columbia, including the National Mall and Memorial Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
The order also instructs the task force to review and, if needed, revise federal prosecutorial policies on pretrial detention of criminal defendants to ensure individuals who pose a threat to public safety are detained to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Additionally, the order instructs the task force to direct maximum enforcement of federal immigration law, redirecting federal, state or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegals throughout the area.
WATCH: TRUMP HINTS HE WILL FEDERALIZE DC SOON, BRING IN NATIONAL GUARD AFTER ‘BIG BALLS’ ATTACK
The source said the additional law enforcement will be devoted to protecting D.C. residents and visitors from the “scourge of violent crime plaguing” the city.
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“President Trump promised to Make DC Safe Again on the campaign trail – this is another promise kept,” they said.
‘The truth shall set you free’: Conservative actress wins battle against Disney
Disney settled a wrongful termination lawsuit on Thursday that was filed by former “Star Wars” actress Gina Carano, bringing to an end a years-long dispute.
“I have come to an agreement with Disney/Lucasfilm @disney @Lucasfilm which I believe is the best outcome for all parties involved. I hope this brings some healing to the force… I hope to make you proud. I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter. My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me,” Carano said in a statement.
Carano, 43, was fired from her role as Cara Dune in the “Mandalorian” in February 2021, after Disney objected to a controversial social media post she wrote. The actress maintained that she had lost her job for her conservative views, and was wrongfully discriminated against.
The former MMA star has been vocal about her conservative views on social media, voicing her opposition to Black Lives Matter, COVID lockdowns and transgender dogma. Carano came under fire after she posted a picture of a Jewish woman beaten savagely in the city of Lwow while it was occupied by the Germans during World War II, and compared the hatred conservatives in the U.S. were experiencing at that time to that experienced by the Jews during the Holocaust.
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“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…. even by children, because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?” the actress posted at the time.
Disney fired her from the hit “Star Wars” spinoff and accused Carano of “denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities” in a statement. She was also dropped by her talent agency, UTA. Carano sued Disney in 2024 for putative damages alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. She also demanded the studio recast her in her role. The lawsuit was backed by Elon Musk as part of an initiative where his social media platform, X, would fund the lawsuits of anyone who felt they were wrongfully discriminated against by their employer due to something they posted on the app.
Disney filed a motion in April 2024 to have the suit dismissed, claiming they had a First Amendment right not to associate their brand with Carano’s views. The actress blasted the entertainment giant on her social media in response, claiming that Disney had shown they “will fire you if you say anything they disagree with” and alleging her former employers had mischaracterized her statements. In a statement announcing the settlement Thursday, Disney reversed course and said Carano was “always well respected” by her colleagues and vowed to try to work with her again “in the near future.”
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“The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit against the companies. Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect. With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future,” Disney said in a statement.
“… and the truth shall set you free,” Carano posted on X on Thursday.
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‘Sad thing for us’: Pelosi says she wants to protect sex changes for trans kids
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that sex changes for transgender children is something she’s working for “at the national level.”
Earlier in the day, Pelosi toured the San Francisco VA Medical Center to review health-system upgrades, research initiatives and—according to a press release from her staff—the threat that House Republicans might slash core veterans’ services.
While speaking with reporters, she was asked how her office was responding to pauses to “gender-affirming care” in California.
“That is something I’m working for at the national level, and we are hoping we can have gender-affirming care for our trans kids,” Pelosi said. “It’s a sad thing for us… I don’t know what effect we can have nationally with what we have going on in the White House and in Congress.”
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She called the situation “really sad, adding that a transgender-pride flag—five horizontal stripes of light blue, pink and white—hangs outside her office. Pelosi also said several colleagues display the same flag.
She acknowledged that many Republicans on Capitol Hill oppose medical transition for transgender youth.
Still, she is not alone in her stance on sex changes for kids.
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Earlier this month, over a dozen officials from Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from blocking access to sex change procedures and treatments for people under the age of 19.
The complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues that the Trump administration wants to impose a nationwide ban on sex change procedures by threatening providers with “baseless criminal charges” and investigations.
The lawsuit names President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department as defendants. It challenges Trump’s Jan. 28 executive order barring government support for sex change operations and treatments and two memos by Bondi and Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.
Pelosi’s office told Fox News Digital the Democrat was referring to this lawsuit when she spoke about supporting sex changes for children.
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Bondi’s memo directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and prosecute those who offer sex-change treatments to minors. Shumate’s memo directs prosecutors to prioritize investigations against doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies that perform such procedures.
In July, Kaiser Permanente announced that it would pause sex change surgeries for patients under 19 beginning Aug. 29 in response to the Trump administration’s efforts on the matter. The same month, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles shuttered its Center for Trans Youth Health and Development, one of the nation’s largest clinics for transgender young people.
The Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., also announced that it will no longer provide gender transition-related medical interventions.
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Many states have laws restricting or banning sex change surgeries for children. The states named in the lawsuit – California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. – allow such procedures.
Fast-moving fire forces residents to evacuate in Southern California
A brush fire was quickly moving across parts of Southern California on Thursday, spurring evacuations of the area as fire officials worked to put out the blaze.
The Canyon Fire broke out on Thursday afternoon east of Lake Piru in Ventura County, earlier estimated at about 50 acres, before spreading to more than 1,000, according to fire officials.
The fire began burning north of Highway 126 east of Los Angeles County before it later spread into the county, officials said.
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Evacuations were ordered for the Lake Piru Recreation Area and parts of the surrounding area. An evacuation warning was issued for ranches in the west end of Holser Canyon, NBC 4 reported.
Parts of Los Angeles County also had evacuation orders and evacuation warnings.
“The Canyon Fire is currently burning between Los Angeles County and Ventura County in the Piru Lake area. Several zones are under evacuation order and warning,” the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
Water-dropping aircraft responded to the blaze, as firefighters were using Lake Piru, a reservoir in Los Padres National Forest northwest of Los Angeles, to refill firefighting aircraft, NBC 4 reported.
The Canyon Fire was one of at least four burning in Southern California on Thursday.
It was not clear what caused the fires in the Golden State.
This comes after multiple wildfires swept across Southern California at the beginning of the year, burning more than 50,000 acres and destroying more than 18,000 homes and structures. At least 30 people were killed and roughly 200,000 were forced to evacuate.
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More than 4,400 wildfires have been reported in California this year, an increase from 3,800 at this time last year, according to NBC 4. More than 221,100 acres have burned this year, exceeding the 83,200 acres burned through July of last year.
US doubles reward to $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The Justice Department and State Department announced the reward, up from $25 million. The United States has accused Maduro of aiding drug cartels and street gangs, as well as operating a corrupt and repressive regime.
“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TdA (Tren de Aragua), Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de Soles) to bring deadly violence to our country,” Bondi said in a video message. “He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.”
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Cartel of the Suns is a Venezuelan drug-trafficking organization comprised of high-ranking Venezuelan officials. In March 2020, Maduro was charged in a federal indictment with narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
To date, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates, Bondi said. The drugs are a primary source of income for Mexican and Venezuelan-based cartels, she said.
Bondi noted that cocaine is often laced with fentanyl, resulting in thousands of American lives lost. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has frequently criticized Maduro, whom he said is not the South American nation’s legitimate leader following a disputed 2024 election victory.
“One year since dictator Nicolás Maduro defied the will of the Venezuelan people by baselessly declaring himself the winner, the United States remains firm in its unwavering support to Venezuela’s restoration of democratic order and justice,” Rubio said last month. “Maduro is not the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government.”
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“Maduro is the leader of the designated narco-terrorist organization Cartel de Los Soles, and he is responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe,” Rubio continued. “Maduro, currently indicted by our nation, has corrupted Venezuela’s institutions to assist the cartel’s criminal narco-trafficking scheme into the United States.”
In January, the State Department announced a $25 million reward for Muduro’s arrest.
The agency said Muduro has participated in a violent narco-terrorism conspiracy with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated foreign terrorist organization. In addition, Maduro negotiated multi-ton shipments of FARC-produced cocaine; directed the Cartel of the Suns to provide military-grade weapons to the FARC; coordinated with drug traffickers in Honduras and other countries to facilitate large-scale drug trafficking; and solicited assistance from FARC leadership in training an unsanctioned militia group that functioned, in essence, as an armed forces unit for the Cartel of the Suns.
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In addition to the charges against him, the Justice Department has seized more than $700 million of assets linked to Maduro, including two private jets and nine vehicles, Bondi said.
Indianapolis star quarterback sustains injury in first preseason game after brutal hit
Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson sustained an injury in his first preseason game of 2025 Thursday night when he was sacked by the Baltimore Ravens’ David Ojabo.
Ojabo had a clean run at Richardson and appeared to injure the quarterback’s finger. After the sack, Richardson jogged to the sideline and was replaced by Daniel Jones.
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Jones stayed in at quarterback for the team’s next offensive series.
Richardson guided the Colts to a field goal on his first drive.
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The plan for Indianapolis prior to the game was for Richardson to start and play 1½ quarters, with Jones playing half a quarter.
Aberdeen approves tourist tax to boost local economy and address overtourism concerns
The list of European cities that are now implementing tourist taxes continues to grow as communities battle the consequences of overtourism.
The latest to join the list is Aberdeen, Scotland — which has announced a visitor levy to begin on April 1, 2027.
Aberdeen City Council’s Finance and Resources Committee approved a 7% levy, according to a press release.
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The council shared the example of the average hotel room cost of about $80 — and, with implementation of the levy, nearly $6 extra dollars would be added to the room rate.
The tax is expected to bring in over $7 million for the city per year.
Alex McLellan, convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, said in a press release that the tax “will provide a huge boost to our local economy.”
McLellan added that it will “allow us to invest in bringing major events and conferences here on a more regular basis.”
“Across Europe, we are paying similar amounts to stay per night, subsidizing their thriving economies — and we should do the same to ensure we can compete in terms of attracting both business and leisure tourism to Aberdeen,” said McLellan.
Located about 10 miles north of Aberdeen City is Aberdeenshire.
Aberdeenshire is home to the Trump International Scotland golf resort. It’s situated on the coastline of the North Sea.
President Donald Trump recently visited Scotland to check in on his golf resorts and discuss tariffs.
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He participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside his son Eric Trump for the opening of the second course at Aberdeen.
The president told reporters at the time that Scottish actor Sean Connery, known for his role as James Bond, played a part in helping start the course.
“Sean Connery helped get me the permits,” said Trump. “If it weren’t for Sean Connery, we wouldn’t have those great courses.”
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Aberdeen City’s visitor levy would not impact tourists visiting Aberdeenshire.
Gutfeld reveals wild night with Fallon during ‘Tonight Show’ appearance
Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld revealed how he first met fellow late-night host Jimmy Fallon during his Thursday appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”
After giving Fallon a warm embrace, Gutfeld quipped that it “brought back memories.”
“This is hilarious – we’ve met before,” Fallon began.
“Yes, you have no memory of it,” Gutfeld responded. “Which is understandable, because we were wasted.”
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The “Gutfeld!” host said their encounter took place at an “illegal speakeasy” in Hell’s Kitchen roughly 15 years ago owned by their mutual friend Tracy, saying the inside looked “like a place where special ops forces waterboard terrorists.”
“You’re not making this up. I totally know what you’re talking about,” Fallon interjected as his memory was coming back to him. “I think I remember bringing beer into the bar, and then him charging me for my own beer.”
“That’s Tracy. He’s very cheap, but if you want somebody dead, he’ll do it,” Gutfeld joked.
Gutfeld then said he and Fallon saw each other, and the latter’s eyes lit up.
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“And you run towards me, and you tackle me, like you’re a giant golden retriever,” Gutfeld recalled. “You’re like on top of me. And so we’re wrestling. We’re wrestling. And then you change, and you start wrestling my buddy Andy, and you’re wrestling him. And you guys get on the ground. You guys are now on the ground wrestling.”
“What?!” Fallon reacted in disbelief.
“Yes,” Gutfeld told him. “So I pull out a cigarette. I light a cigarette, and I’m smoking it, and you stop, and you come over to me, and you grab it, and you crinkle it, and you go, ‘These things will kill you!’ and you threw it. And then I go, ‘Dude, I’m not rich. You’re rich.’ Cigarettes are expensive in New York City. I yell, and all of a sudden, your face changed, and you looked sad, and then you left.”
But, Gutfeld revealed, Fallon returned with a fresh pack just five minutes later and handed it to his future guest.
“I go, ‘That was really sweet. You want me to die,'” Gutfeld said, as Fallon and the audience laughed.
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“I’m sorry I tackled you,” Fallon said later with a grin.
“It was all very good-natured, and it was a great memory,” Gutfeld told the NBC host. “And I’m so glad I finally got to tell you!”
“I’m so happy,” Fallon replied. “That’s a true story… I remember. All the details you said are correct.”
Gutfeld and Fallon also discussed his FOX Nation game show, “What Did I Miss?”, where contestants who’ve been isolated for months try to pick real news from fake news, as well as Gutfeld’s winding path to his top-rated hosting gigs on “Gutfeld!” and “The Five.”
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