Steve Rannazzisi, who can currently be seen in the final season of The League as the hapless husband and father Kevin, somewhat famously got his start in comedy after deciding to leave New York to move to Los Angeles after he found himself situated in the World Trade Center on the morning of the 9/11 attacks. His original story dates to December, 2009, when he told the story to Marc Maron on his WTF podcast, which he has spoken about several times over the years. In it, Rannazzisi claims he was working for Merrill Lynch on the 54th floor of the South Tower when the first plane struck the North Tower. He also has said his wife (then girlfriend) was also supposed to have been in the towers when the planes struck, but had been delayed coming to work that morning.
After it came out this week that Merrill Lynch supposedly had no record of him working in either tower the morning of 9/11, Rannazzisi released a statement on Twitter Wednesday morning admitting that he had fabricated the series of events. Although Rannazzisi was working in New York City the morning of the 9/11 attacks, he was in Midtown when the planes hit.
As a young man, I made a mistake that I deeply regret and for which apologies may still not be enough.
— Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
After I moved with my wife to Los Angeles from New York City in 2001 shortly after 9/11, I told people that I was in one of the World Trade
— Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
Center towers on 9/11. It wasn’t true. I was in Manhattan but working in a building in midtown and I was not at the Trade Center on that day
— Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
I don’t know why I said this. This was inexcusable. I am truly, truly sorry.
For many years, more than anything, I have wished that, with— Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
silence, I could somehow erase a story told by an immature young man.It only made me more ashamed. How could I tell my children to be honest
— Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
when I hadn't come clean about this?
— Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
it is to the victims of 9/11 and to the people that love them–and the people that love me–that I ask for forgiveness.
— Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
Rannazzisi recently became a spokesperson for Buffalo Wild Wings, appearing in commercials for the fast-food chain, who say that they are now re-evaluating their relationship with the comedian pending a review of the facts.
For what it’s worth, Rannazzisi’s claim of an epiphany after the attacks that ultimately made him decide to leave New York City to pursue his dream might be 100 percent accurate, as the attacks were extremely traumatic for anyone in the city as the events unfolded. Unfortunately, there are some details you can’t get away with making up.
Here is Rannazzisi’s original interview with Marc Maron:
(Via New York Times)
