7 Craziest Rob Ford Moments
7 Craziest Rob Ford Moments
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at the wildest, most outrageous moments from late Toronto mayor Rob Ford, the scandal-prone politician who became a global icon for all the wrong reasons.
His Jimmy Kimmel Live! Appearance
At the height of Rob Fords scandal-ridden time in the spotlight, he was routinely ridiculed by American late night talk show hosts for well, it probably goes without saying. But Jimmy Kimmel upped the ante by inviting the mayor onto his massively successful ABC program, ostensibly to clear the air. Fords interview went about as well as you might expect, with the comedian introducing him as having tripped, bumped, danced, argued and smoked his way into our national consciousness. While Kimmel attempted to get Ford to address his numerous gaffes, the mayor mostly laughed him off and instead repeated his claim that he had saved Toronto taxpayers as much as $1 billion.
Impromptu Reggae Parties
Look, were not saying we dont get it: we cant imagine council meetings were much of a laugh for a mayor who was used to partying hard. Thankfully, Rob Ford found a way to bring a bit of the party into Toronto City Hall. And not once, but on several, well-documented occasions. In December of 2013, amid calls for his resignation, Ford reacted by, of course dancing to One Love by Bob Marley in front of his fellow municipal officials and city councillors. He was filmed doing so again two months later, upon declaring February 6th Bob Marley Day in Toronto. In fairness, the holiday predated Fords tenure, but wed like to imagine it was a personal passion for him.
Calling 911 on This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour is perhaps Canadas most popular comedy program, kind of a blend of Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show. Cast member Mary Walsh, playing her reporter character Marg Delahunty, is known for ambushing Canadian politicians with unexpected, over-the-top interviews. While getting roasteed on 22 Minutes is almost a rite of passage, Rob Ford didnt take it that way. Walsh attempted to pull her usual schtick with Ford outside of his house, but the mayor got spooked and instead called the police on the comedian and her crew. Said Ford, I'm open to the media, but when you come to my private house early in the morning and ambush me, I think that crosses the line.
The Rant Thats Definitely Not About Bill Blair
Now a longtime member of parliament, there was a time when former Toronto police chief Bill Blair was best-known for his well-documented, painfully public beef with Rob Ford. Blair initially announced that the police had come into possession of incriminating video of Ford in October 2013, at which point Rob and his brother, city councillor Doug, went scorched earth on him. The brothers even accused Blair of working with mayoral rival John Tory to sabotage Robs 2014 reelection campaign. An inconspicuous smartphone recording, leaked in November 2013, finds Ford violently threatening an unknown person, even declaring He dies or I die. The source of Robs ire has never been revealed, but given their public feuding, it seems like Blair is a likely target.
The Steak Queen Incident
On January 21st 2014, a crucial piece of Rob Ford lore surfaced: a jaw-droppingly bizarre video of the clearly intoxicated Toronto mayor going on yet another impassioned rant. This time, though, no secret is made as to who exactly hes mad at: if you guessed Bill Blair, then youd be right on the money. Affecting a deeply cringeworthy attempt at a Jamaican accent (and even dropping bits of Jamaican patois slang), Ford doesnt hold back when describing the police chief. In response, Blair stated that It was disgusting [...] I think its shameful to have my name even associated to such behaviour. The mayor brushed off Blairs grievances, explicitly stating that I do not owe him an apology.
Denying Olivia Gondeks Allegations
There are lots of great quotes attributed to politicians. Im not a crook, I didnt inhale, so on and so forth. In the wake of his cascading 2013 scandals, Rob Ford added another statement to the canon. In response to allegations of what he called a wild St. Patricks Day party in [his] office, Ford blasted Olivia Gondek, a former staffer of his, who claimed that the mayor had made inappropriate remarks to her at that event. While we cant repeat exactly what Ford was accused of saying, just know that he vehemently denied her accusation, memorably stating that I've never said that in my life to her. I would never do that. I'm happily married. I've got more than enough to eat at home.
The Infamous Video That Started It All
In February of 2013, Mohamed Siad, a member of the Dixon Bloods street gang, surreptitiously filmed Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine. After a long, tortured media saga, and just a month after Bill Blair announced the videos existence, Ford admitted the following on November 5th: Have I tried [crack]? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago. A second video depicting the mayors substance use, recorded in April 2014, led to Ford entering rehab. The mayor would later withdraw his mayoral candidacy in September following a liposarcoma diagnosis; he succumbed to the disease on March 22, 2016.
Which Rob Ford moment shocked you the most? Are there any we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
