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The Fiery ‘Tonight Show’ Stunt That Fans Still Don’t Understand & Got an A-List Comedian Arrested

The comedian holds the distinction of being the first guest in the history of the show to be charged with a crime

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In the early 1990s, Bobcat Goldthwait earned himself a reputation for being an unpredictable talk show guest. During a November 1993 appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Goldthwait knocked over the furniture on the set after O’Brien made a joke about him, and eventually went charging into the audience while carrying a table. “We’ve had actually a guest break the show, ladies and gentlemen,” O’Brien joked at one point:

The following April, Goldthwait went even crazier on one of the final episodes of The Arsenio Hall Show. He started by spray-painting “Paramount Sucks” on the wall in response to the series being canceled. From there, Goldthwait threw pillows into the crowd, destroying one of the video monitors. Hall was forced to step in and restrain his guest several times in order to prevent any further damage from occurring:

Believe it or not, Goldthwait’s wildest stunt was yet to come. While discussing the Hall incident on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the comedian said he felt the need to top himself that evening, saying, “I know I have to go nuts.” He then pulled out a lighter and some lighter fluid, setting the chair he was sitting in on fire. Leno and guest Lauren Hutton put it out shortly afterward, and Goldthwait took off toward the audience, but slipped and fell in the process. Take a look below.

Goldthwait was later arrested and charged with arson. He pleaded no contest and was fined $3,888—$698 of which went to NBC to cover the cost of the chair. The stand-up comic was also given three years’ probation and was required to film public service announcements promoting the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. According to NBC, Goldthwait holds the distinction of being the first Tonight Show guest to ever be charged with a crime. Despite rumors that Goldthwait was banned from the show, he appeared in a bit with Leno the following week, in which he was shown buried up to his neck in dirt.

Goldthwait made light of the situation in a 1997 episode of Mad TV, telling the viewers, “It’s a good thing Jimi Hendrix never played Burbank.”

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