Following James Corden’s alleged inappropriate behavior at the famed Balthazar, two restaurant owners defended him.

James Corden is a comedian who rose to prominence as the host of “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on CBS. However, the comedian has recently been the subject of contentious headlines after famed restauranteur Keith McNally banned him for being the “most abusive customer” in his years on the restaurant scene. In an Instagram post, McNally detailed the instances in which James Corden was rude to his waitstaff.

According to TMZ, two restaurant owners attest to Corden’s good behavior, claiming that he has been a model customer at their establishments.

Stratis Morfogen, a New York restauranteur who has opened over 40 restaurants, described the comedian as one of the “most pleasant and funny guys he’s ever served.” Stratis Morfogen owns well-known New York restaurants such as Club Rouge, Gotham City Diner, Seagrill of the Aegean, and Hilltop Diner.

TMZ says:

“When Stratis hosted and catered a 2018 post-Grammys event for Bruno Mars and Atlantic Records at his Brooklyn Chop House restaurant, he says James was there singing songs with bartenders and yukking it up with staffers at the bar. He also notes James was a gracious tipper.”

Furthermore, Stratis stated that he could not imagine James engaging in the “nasty behavior” described in McNally’s reports.

Todd English, a celebrity chef, is one of the restaurant owners who has come to James Corden’s defense. The celebrity chef told TMZ that every time he’s served the late-night talk show host, he’s been “absolutely lovely” to everyone in the restaurant.

In addition, following a recent development, restaurateur Keith McNally announced on Instagram that he would be lifting the ban after James Corden called him to apologize profusely for previous incidents.

Keith McNally also invited James Corden to dine at Balthazar after announcing his forgiveness for the comedian.

“Anyone magnanimous enough to apologize to a deadbeat layabout like me (and my staff) doesn’t deserve to be banned from anywhere. Especially Balthazar. So Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Corden, Jimmy Corden. All is Forgiven.”