Melissa Rivers said Jay Leno is still holding a grudge against her mother, comedian Joan Rivers, after her death last September.
Rivers was famously banned from the "Tonight Show" when it starred Johnny Carson. Carson banned Rivers from the show because she was offered her own show on a rival network after appearing on the "Tonight Show" several times.
When Leno took over the show he continued the ban, which appears to the the root of some disputes between the comedians.
The ban was well known to Rivers, who often fought back herself (such as in 2014 when she gave Leno the finger after learning he was keeping the ban).
Melissa, Rivers' daughter, is claiming that Leno is continuing to hold a grudge against her mom by ignoring her.
Melissa recently told Howard Stern that when she was at the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment breakfast in December Leno basically ignored her when they crossed paths.
"I walk in, and I'm standing, having a coffee in the reception area, and Jay....looks right at me, and looks away," Melissa told Stern.
Melissa knew about the issues Leno had with her mother, but she was still hoping to receive his condolences after Rivers' death.
"It would have been closure, and it would have been the right thing to do," Melissa said.
Despite the alleged grudge Melissa said Leno is carrying over to her, Leno's rep denied Melissa's claims that she made about the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment breakfast.
"If he made eye contact with her, he didn't recognize it was Melissa. Had he done so, he would've come over to extend his condolences. He apologizes if she was offended, but he did not realize it was Melissa," Leno's rep said in a statement to Us Weekly.
