Amy Poehler Claims a Mentalist Secretly Hypnotized Her into Buying Him Dinner

Amy Poehler was feeling very, very generous.

The Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation star is currently on tour with her longtime collaborator Tina Fey, which included a stop at Late Night with Seth Meyers where she explained her longtime distrust of magicians and illusionists that somehow has nothing to do with her divorce from GOB Bluth.

As Poehler explained, she once found herself seated at a fancy dinner in London, England attended by numerous friends and colleagues, as well as one particularly untrustworthy mentalist who was conveniently seated next to her. At the end of the meal, Poehler says she unexpectedly stood up and declared, “Dinner’s on me,” picking up a check that she said was “Like 50,000 pounds, because they don’t go by dollars there.” 

Only upon her return home did Poehler come to a realization — the hypnotist had scored a free meal for himself and his friends using the preternatural power of suggestion. “Or,” Poehler caveats, “I was just trying to big time it.”

After Poehler told her story, Meyers called out his longtime friend and former castmate for making a habit of graciously volunteering to pick up the check during fancy meals, then immediately announcing that she forgot to bring her wallet. For someone who claims to hate magic, she sure mastered The Disappearing Amex Card.