Conan O'Brien Reveals He Got His Ass Whooped In Boston

Conan O'Brien once got lit up while walking around Boston.

While O'Brien has made a name for himself as a TV talk show star, he wasn't always that famous. In fact, he once got his ass kicked by some random guys while walking around Boston.

Conan O'Brien reveals he got beat up while walking around Boston. (Photo by Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images for TBS)

"I got my nose smashed in. I got jumped by a bunch of people when I … It was after I graduated high school and before I started college, and I wandered into sort of a dicey neighborhood in Boston, and I realized I was in a neighborhood I wasn't supposed to be in," the comedy star explained during a conversation with Jon Bernthal. The problem? He was wearing an Irish flag t-shirt in an Italian neighborhood.

He further added while laughing, "The police were asking me, 'Well, what did you do when you realized you were about to get hit? What stance did you go into?' And I went, 'Stance?'"

Conan O'Brien experienced Boston's tough reputation firsthand.

Boston is known for being a city full of hard, tough and edgy people. It's part of the city's identity and it's wired directly into the DNA of the area.

That's not me excusing violence. It's simply stating the obvious. People in Boston lean into the reputation.

Conan O'Brien talks about getting beat up in Boston. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

Think I'm wrong with my assessment? Well, then explain why there are multiple movies backing up the idea Boston is a place where you could get beat up at any moment.

"Black Mass," which is a true story, and "The Town" practically pay homage to how dicey Boston can be and how it's loaded with shady characters.

There are also a ton of great people there as well, but there's a reason why Whitey Bulger was a folk hero for many people back in the day.

Unfortunately for Conan O'Brien he got to experience Boston's edginess at its worst, and it resulted in him getting his face smashed in. There's no way that was a fun experience. Getting your face rearranged is definitely not an experience anyone hopes to have happen.

Conan O'Brien got beat up in Boston as a young man. He got attacked for wearing an Irish flag shirt. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

The good news for Conan is he grew up, became a massive star, got mega-rich and I think it's safe to say none of that happened to his attackers. Life sure can be funny at times.