Kelly Ripa Had A Painfully Awkward Interaction With Robert De Niro

Kelly Ripa is a decorated talk show host with years of experience under her belt. For example, she used to co-host "Regis and Kelly" with the late Regis Philbin. After his retirement, she worked alongside her husband, Mark Consuelos on "LIVE with Kelly and Mark." She has since moved onto podcasts with her show "Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa."

During an episode of "Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa," Ripa hosted an interview with Henry Winkler. The episode is titled "Henry Winkler: Has Never Jumped The Shark" referencing the infamous "Happy Days" scene that spawned the popular phrase for storylines that are a bit too outrageous. 

On the topic of outrageous things, they swapped fascinating stories about the one and only Robert De Niro. Funny enough, Ripa described an incident that occurred just a few hours after De Niro had appeared on "LIVE with Kelly and Mark" (which she hosted, of course).

After the show, Kelly and her husband Mark were traveling to Los Angeles to participate in the Academy Awards. On the plane, she sees none other than Robert De Niro. "Hi Bob, it's great to see you again... small world," Kelly said. Robert De Niro looked at her and simply asked, "Tell me how I know you again?" She then reminded him he was just on her show and they laughed. Ripa must not have been wearing one of her famously inappropriate dresses.

In contrast, Henry Winkler's De Niro story involved a significant difference in the star's memory. He met De Niro while he was filming "Happy Days" and told him, "Mr. De Niro, I just have to tell you, you use the word 'f—' better than anybody on the planet." Forty years later, when Winkler ran into De Niro again, he remembered exactly what Winkler had said and repeated it back to him.

Robert De Niro has reached incredible fame over the years, so it's understandable that he struggles remembering faces. Winkler met him when he was much younger and Ripa's story is more recent, so maybe his age has something to do with it. It's a funny story, either way.