Christina Ricci went after Jimmy Fallon on Monday after he booked Conor McGregor on The Tonight Show. Her repost put the backlash in public view again, with the criticism centered on Fallon giving McGregor a late-night platform after the 2024 ruling against him.
Ricci Targets Fallon
Ricci shared an Instagram message that said Fallon should be ashamed. She added, “We need to stop pretending like rape is OK. Men. What the f--- are we doing here.”
The repost also included, “Shame on you, Jimmy,” making the criticism direct and personal. Ricci’s post did not read like a broad comment on celebrity culture; it singled out the booking and the host.
McGregor’s UFC 329 Push
Fallon had McGregor on his show last week to promote his return to the UFC at UFC 329 on June 16. The appearance placed McGregor on a major late-night stage tied to a fight promotion, not just a casual interview slot. Fans then pressed Fallon on his June 18 post featuring a video of a surprise gag with Paul McCartney, asking why he had not posted clips from the McGregor interview.
McGregor’s UFC 329 fight card was the promotional backdrop for the booking, and that timing is what kept the backlash alive online.
Why the Backlash Landed
The criticism carried more weight because McGregor was found criminally liable for sexual assault in 2024 after being sued by former hairstylist Nikita Hand. Hand was awarded $285,000 in damages after an eight-day trial, which made the booking easier to frame as a judgment call rather than a routine interview choice.
McGregor has also long been tied to Trump-facing symbolism. In 2020, he called Donald Trump a “Phenomenal President” and “Quite possibly the USA [G.O.A.T.],” later attended Trump’s inauguration as a guest, and visited the White House on St. Patrick’s Day last year, where he told Trump that his work ethic was “inspiring.”
Fallon has not publicly answered the criticism in the material at hand, and his June 18 post only deepened the scrutiny because it spotlighted Paul McCartney instead of the McGregor segment. For viewers and fans, the issue is now less about one interview and more about whether the booking itself was treated as acceptable promotion.
