Between 1995 and 1998, Spring Breakers director Harmony Korine appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman three times. He was scheduled for a fourth interview in 1999, but it never made it on the air. Interestingly, Korine was backstage that evening, and his actions behind the scenes led to him being banned from the show. For more than a decade, the specifics of what happened that night were unclear.
In 2013, James Franco, who starred in Spring Breakers, dropped by Letterman’s show to promote the movie. Having heard the rumors about Korine’s banning over the years, Franco decided to get to the bottom of the longstanding mystery. Letterman initially played coy and pretended not to remember his interviews with Korine, but questioned Franco on what he’d been told.
Harmony Korine’s ‘Letterman’ Ban Involved Meryl Streep, a Purse, and a Very Weird Night
According to Franco, Korine claimed that he’d gotten banned for pushing fellow guest Meryl Streep backstage. However, Franco went on to explain that Korine was “out of it” at the time and has changed his ways since then. These days, Franco insists that Korine’s a “very sane guy,” as well as a great artist and collaborator.
By the late ‘90s, the director had apparently gone a little “off the rails,” in Franco’s words. The actor also suggested that Korrine might’ve been “on something” the last time he’d encountered Letterman.
That’s not what Letterman says happened, though. As the late-night host tells it, he went upstairs to greet Streep before the show, but she wasn’t in her dressing room. Upon further examination, Letterman discovered Korine going through Streep’s purse and promptly booted him from the building. “True story,” said Letterman, holding his right hand up to the crowd.
But despite telling Franco he’d be “more than happy” to have Korine back on at some point, Letterman never linked up with the director again prior to stepping away from the Late Show in 2015.
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