A New York bar owner says her viral subway interaction with comedian Conan O’Brien “changed her life” as the spontaneous encounter took the internet by storm.
Debbie Shields, owner of Confessions Bar in Bedford-Stuyvesant, made a brief appearance on the viral show “SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma” during her ride aboard the F train in the episode released Tuesday.
“One minute and 29 seconds changed my life,” Shields told CBS News New York.
Shields spotted Rahma and O’Brien filming the episode — which consists of Rahma interviewing guests aboard a moving subway car — and introduced herself as she was stopping the show with her quick-witted riff alongside the former talk show host.
“I said, ‘Keep my seat. I’ll go,'” she said.
Shields sat next to Rahma and immediately hit it off with O’Brien, joking that they were married a long time ago and shared two sons, one in medical school and the other in prison.
“I’m sorry I didn’t send any money,” O’Brien joked, as Shields took the joke and ran with it.
“It’s okay, don’t worry, I still love you,” she said.
“Your pictures are all over the house,” Shields replied, prompting a loud laugh from O’Brien. “They have your hair, it’s okay, we got it and what we draw.”
O’Brien claimed he had the happiest marriage to the subway stranger, adding that it was “the best year and a half of my life.”
“I’m trying to tell you, I’ve heard this from my other three husbands, too,” Shields said.
The video was viewed 1.3 million times as of Sunday.
After the two broke characters, O’Brien officially introduced himself, telling Shields she was “so funny.”
Shields took advantage of the lull in the conversation to publicize her bar, revealing that she had to “kick out” O’Brien twice, causing the comedian to burst into another fit of laughter in less than a minute.
Rahma asked Shields if they could get a free round of drinks if they showed up at her bar.
“He’s the daddy of my babies, he’ll have two,” she said.
Shields beamed about her virality, saying it was a much-needed change in her daily life.
“It used to be them coming in and saying, ‘Move aside, old lady,'” Shields said. “Now it’s, ‘I saw you on TV. We love you.’ I love you too.”
Confessions Bar has gained more than 7,000 followers on its Instagram page since the “SubwayTakes” episode aired, according to social media tracker SocialBlade.
Confessions Bar also introduced a new drink in honor of O’Brien, called “The Baby Daddy O’Brien”, which features an orange garnish.
Shields also gained recognition on the Internet, where people praised the businesswoman for her humor.
“This lady was a comedy gem,” said one user.
“You just know Conan loved riding with this woman so much,” added another.
“Conan always says how hilarious his fans are, but this spontaneous interaction really shows it,” said a third fan.
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