---
title: "Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson Apologizes for Punching Producer in the Face"
description: "Nothing says “sorry” like $140,000."
date: "2016-02-25"
modified: "2016-02-25"
authors:
  - name: "Will Sabel Courtney"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/will-sabel-courtney"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/2342/top-gears-jeremy-clarkson-apologizes-for-punching-producer-in-the-face"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "News"
  - "People"
tags:
  - "Jeremy Clarkson"
  - "Top Gear"
---

# Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson Apologizes for Punching Producer in the Face

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The drama behind the punch heard ‘round the car world may finally be coming to an end. According to the BBC, [Jeremy Clarkson has not only apologized to *Top Gear* producer Oisin Tymon for slugging him in the kisser, he and the BBC have also settled Tymon's case for at least £100,000](<https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35648682>)—roughly $140,000 at today’s exchange rates.

"I would like to say sorry, once again, to Oisin Tymon for the incident and its regrettable aftermath," [Clarkson said in a statement released through Tymon's lawyers](<https://pagesix.com/2016/02/25/ex-top-gear-host-clarkson-apologizes-to-producer-he-hit/>). “I want to reiterate that none of this was in any way his fault.” The “regrettable aftermath” Clarkson referred to consisted of the public backlash against Tymon, [who was barraged with online harassment—including death threats—after the incident](<https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/03/25/oisin-tymon-fracas-jeremy-clarkson-sacked_n_6939644.html>).

Oh, right, there another minor consequence: *Top Gear* as we knew and loved it, with presenters Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, didn’t survive the “fracas,” as it came to be known. In case you’ve forgotten, [Clarkson’s assault on Tymon—which, in addition to the punch that split open the producer’s lip, also reportedly consisted of at least one anti-Irish slur—resulted in the termination of the curmudgeonly Brit’s contract](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/1387/the-drive-100-the-greatest-train-wrecks-of-2015>). James May and Richard Hammond tore up their own BBC paperwork shortly thereafter. ([If you believe the conspiracy theories, that may have been Clarkson’s plan all along](<https://robztobor.blogspot.com/2015/03/mr-jeremy-clarkson-and-great-top-gear.html>).) The trio were quickly scooped up by Amazon in a reported $250 million deal to create a new car show for the Internet mogul’s Amazon Prime video-on-demand service.

And in case your name is [Mark Watney](<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3659388/>) and you haven’t heard by now, the BBC is re-launching *Top Gear* with a hockey team’s worth of new hosts, including [British radio personality Chris Evans, Joey from “Friends,” and some YouTube star who likes to oversteer a lot. Christopher Ferris, or something like that.](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/2144/your-guide-to-top-gears-new-presenter-lineup>)

## Author
Will is the former managing editor of *RIDES Magazine* and the former online editor for *0-60 Magazine*. He has worked for *Time Out New York* and *Rolling Stone*, and was the creator of *College Cars Online*, the first automotive blog specifically targeted at college students and young professionals.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/willsabelcourtney>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/willscourtney>)