Type keyword(s) to search

Quick Hits

How Ryan Seacrest Gave Harry Connick Jr. a Concussion on American Idol

  • Harry Connick Jr. sat in for Kelly Ripa on Friday's Live with Kelly and Ryan, which led Ryan Seacrest to try to absolve the guilt he's been carrying about the time he accidentally hospitalized the singer back when they were working together on American Idol.

    The story goes that once, during a taping of Idol, Seacrest playfully ran up to Connick and jumped into his arms while he wasn't really paying attention, and thought nothing of it.

    "Apparently, the show ends, I didn't see any pain on his face," Seacrest related. "My office called and said 'Harry's in the hospital.' I said 'well, what happened to him?' They said 'you jumped into his arms!'"

    Connick explained from his point of view. "I went back to my dressing room, and I told my assistant 'I don't feel so good. I feel like I'm dizzy, I feel like I'm gonna maybe vomit,' and she said 'you should go to the hospital.' I didn't think about what happened. I remember when you jumped into my arms, it kinda was like a 'ping!' kind of sound, and I went to the hospital, and they said 'no, you've been fairly severely concussed'... when you watch the replay of that, Ryan's head kind of clocked me under the chin, and it was completely accidental, I would assume."

    Seacrest then joked "Well, you know, I was aiming for you for years." 

    People are talking about Live with Kelly and Ryan in our forums. Join the conversation.

    Andy Hunsaker has a head full of sitcom gags and nerd-genre lore, and can be followed @AndyHunsaker if you're into that sort of thing.

    TOPICS: Live with Kelly and Ryan, ABC, American Idol, Harry Connick Jr.