Why Katie Couric Felt Awkward On Her Date With Larry King
Today, in what might later be known as the "weird ages," an awkward date usually consists of a lagging Zoom connection or your Tinder match showing up to the park in a full hazmat suit — or, even worse, mask-free. Clearly, along with the rest of the world, our sense of awkwardness has undergone a rapid and drastic transformation. That's why it's almost quaint, but still squicky, to hear Katie Couric recount her cringe-worthy time with none other than fellow broadcasting icon Larry King.
If you don't remember counting Couric among the late King's list of seven wives, it's because the romance didn't progress beyond the first dinner. Upon hearing the "Going There" author describe the encounter, it's pretty clear why she didn't want a follow-up date. But, true to his rep for hard-hitting journalism, King later refuted — in a hilarious interview — some of Couric's claims about what really transpired that fateful evening.
What exactly happened that night that tanked this would-be match made in media heaven? And whose version of the story is "fake news"? Read on to find out.
How Katie Couric said Larry King made her feel awkward on their date
If finding the perfect partner was easy, rom-coms, life coaches, and Taylor Swift wouldn't exist. So, we don't blame Katie Couric for once accepting a date with the much older Larry King. As she explained on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2013 (via Vanity Fair): "I was about 30 years old and I was in this period of my life where I [thought], 'I'm going to go out with anybody who asks me because you learn something any time you go out with a new person.'" Unfortunately, it sounds like the main thing she learned was not to go out with King again.
According to Couric's version, the pair had a "nice enough time" at an Italian restaurant, before driving to what she assumed would be their separate homes. But Couric soon realized that they weren't heading to her apartment at all — but rather to his. In what she jokingly described as something out of "a bad Lifetime movie," the "Larry King Show" host promptly hit on — or, in her words, "lunged" at — her. As Couric laughed at the memory, it's clear she felt King's attempt was nothing more than awkward and, well, genuinely funny. And, she claimed, he was gracious when she explained that she would prefer "someone a little closer to my age."
However, King didn't find Couric's version of events entirely factual. In fact, the two later discussed the cringe-worthy situation on-air!
What Larry King said Katie Couric got wrong about their awkward date
It's easy to reshape events in your head until they actually seem true — especially embarrassing ones. Considering the late Larry King and Katie Couric's disastrous date took place in the late '80s, it's very likely that one or both of them had a few gaps in their recollection. Couric herself told Jimmy Kimmel that King had "no memory of any of this," with him apparently convinced he drove her straight home and didn't come up on account of her roommate, who, as Couric announced gleefully, didn't exist — a juicy tidbit that would come back to bite her.
Ever the stickler for truth, in 2013, King appeared on Couric's talk show, "Katie," to set the record straight (at least, on his end). King agreed with her basic timeline, even adding some spicy details about how Couric wanted to "see [his] scar" and that they shared a kiss. But he stuck to his claim that he dropped her off at her apartment — though he confessed he didn't realize the roommate was fabricated until Couric told the world on live TV. Eek!
However, it wasn't the alleged inaccuracy of Couric's story that hurt King, but rather the insinuation that she just went out with him because she dated "everyone who asked." Couric reassured King that she was "very excited" about spending time with him, later adding that she was happy that they became "great friends." No matter what really happened, that sounds like a happy ending.