ATTENTION A-listers: If Arsenio Hall has ever said anything to offend you, he wants you to know he’s really, REALLY sorry!
The 58-year-old funnyman is scrambling to make peace with old celebrity pals he dissed so they’ll appear on his new, nationally syndicated late-night talk show.
Nearly 20 years after he abandoned late night, the all new “Arsenio Hall Show” is getting set for a Sept. 9 debut.
During its original run, from 1989 to 1994, the wisecracking comedian, whose approving audiences gave him those trademark shouts of “Roo, roo, roo,” had no trouble booking A-list celebrities.
But today, numerous talk shows compete for stars and Arsenio knows he has to rebuild bridges he burned with celebs such as Madonna, Roseanne Barr, Spike Lee, La Toya Jackson and former BFF Eddie Murphy.
“Arsenio was in no hurry to end those feuds,” said an insider. “But now that his new talk show is debuting soon, he’s pulling out the stops to fix things.”
In 1990, Arsenio ruffled Roseanne’sfeathers when he showed TV viewers an unflattering photo of her and new hubby Tom Arnold in bathing suits. Later, during a stand-up routine, angry Roseanne called Arsenio a “black nerd” and a “triangle-headed Eddie Murphy look-alike mother***er.”
During Madonna’s highly rated appearance on “Arsenio,” she teased him about his failed relationship with Paula Abdul, made fun of his hair and implied that he and Eddie Murphy were lovers. In return, an infuriated Arsenio insulted her jewelry and implied she was having a lesbian relationship with Sandra Bernhard.
La Toya was furious after Arsenio poked fun at her 1989 spread in “Playboy,” and he butted heads with Spike Lee over comments Spike made about Arsenio’s pal Whoopi Goldberg.
And as we reported in April, “Nutty Professor” star Eddie made it clear he wouldn’t appear on the show’s debut because he believes Arsenio’s been using him to further his career for years.
“Arsenio has been calling his old friends to smooth over any ‘misunderstandings,’ but he’s also having the show’s producers call their reps to book them,” added the insider.
“He has a lot of crow to eat before his show premieres.”
