Anyone who watched The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (running from October 1, 1962 through May 22, 1992) can attest to the fact that it was a staple of its time. At the time, it was the most modern format of live TV late-night talk shows. While the late Johnny Carson was historical, the show was also controversial. From his jokes to his personal life, Carson was far from perfect. This stuff wouldn’t be a big deal now, but back then, Carson liked to make jokes at the expense of other celebrities. Some of the real-life interactions and disputes with people on the show will definitely surprise you, including his four failed marriages and the guests that Carson just couldn’t stand! But we’ll get to that…
An Unhappy Husband
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Johnny Carson was a beloved television icon, but he was by no means a saint. He was known to treat those around him with disrespect and cruelty. And one of Carson’s nastiest displays was during a time when he publicly humiliated his new wife while on their honeymoon.
In 1987, after Carson married Alexis Maas (his 4th wife), the honeymooning couple went to Italy for a yacht trip. Carson was in a bad mood and took it out on his new wife. He told her in front of others, “ We’ve been married for three weeks. If you say something like that again, this marriage won’t last another three weeks .” Ouch.
Carson was also cruel to the point that celebrities flat-out refused to appear on his show…