Jay Leno Tells Oprah He & Conan Are Not On Speaking Terms

Today on Oprah, Jay Leno attempted damage control—against being seen as the jerk who screwed Conan O’Brien—by explaining he wasn’t to blame for the fiasco. He came off less like a late-night villain and more like NBC’s doormat.

Jay says that he hasn’t talked to Conan since all of this has gone down. He says it doesn’t seem “appropriate.”

Jay said that it was ratings—and the affiliates—that booted Conan out of The Tonight Show, and that he had no power whatsoever in any of the decisions that went down, because, after all, he had been fired twice by NBC (first to allow Conan to take over, and later when his prime time show failed).

Oprah asked Jay why he wouldn’t just retire or step down completely, and he told her that he doubts she’ll really leave her show, as she announced.