That Time Sarah Silverman Got Punched in the Face and Strangled by a Homeless Man

Sarah Silverman has been in her fair share of violent altercations in New York City.

While appearing on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Monday night, Silverman told an insane story about the time she was once punched in the face on a NYC street corner. The "I Love You, America" star recalled that many years ago, she had a job of handing out fliers for the Boston Comedy Club.

Silverman explained that she shared the corner with a young, "very shy guy" who was dressed in a Pluck You chicken costume. Silverman said that during her last shift, some drunk teenagers approached their corner and began to bully the boy and spill beer on him. The actress stepped up to protect the chicken, but it came at a cost.

"I got in between, not because I'm brave, I think it was sexist of me," Silverman said. "I did not think anyone, [the drunk guys] punched me square in the temple knocked me unconscious."

"I've been punched in the face a few times," she continued. "And this one unconscious and when I came to there were New Yorkers all around me and it feels like care."

Silverman said that "many things" happened to her on that specific street corner and went on to recall another New York minute where she felt comforted by the city.

"One time a homeless man that I feel was maybe a veteran of some kind, just started walking towards me and I was like, 'Live comedy?'" she said. "And then he just started strangling me and people immediately pulled him off me."

Colbert struggled to hold back his laughter and said, "So far your happiest stories of New York is 'I was strangled, but not to death' and 'when I came to people had stopped punching me.'"

The female comedian also spoke about getting inspiration from Mr. Rogers.

"I mean Mr. Rogers is maybe my number one," Silverman said. "He's right up there with Phil Donahue and Jesus. They're my top three."

"I just think that the things he teaches like, 'There's nobody else that can be you, no one else in the world is qualified to be you, but you and you deserve love exactly the way that you are.'"

The audience clapped at Silverman's kind words and she replied, "Thank you, I made that up. No it's Mr. Rogers."

"I Love You, America" is now streaming on Hulu.

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