Steven Seagal presents himself as the ultimate tough guy in 1991’s Out for Justice. A behind-the-scenes incident suggests that Seagal could also star in a potential spin-off titled Out of Bowel Control, though. Whether the story is actually true is still the subject of much debate in the film community.
So, what happened? According to reports, Seagal boasted that his aikido training ensured that no one could ever put him down for the count. As it so happens, Out for Justice stunt coordinator and legendary fighter Gene LeBell heard Seagal’s claims and stepped up to the action star. Not only did LeBell reportedly choke out Seagal, but he also made him urinate and defecate himself. Of course, a tale of this magnitude spread around Hollywood like wildfire – sort of like the Richard Gere gerbil rumor.
According to martial artist and actor Robert Wall, this version of events is correct, and he heard it from LeBell directly. “Gene said, ‘I gave him Polish underwear – yellow in the front, brown in the back, so you know which way to put ’em on,” Wall was quoted as saying in Nick de Semlyen’s The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood’s Kings of Carnage. “He was out for a while. And so when he woke up he did the only manly thing he could – he fired Gene.”
However, stuntman Conrad Palmisano, who was actually on set for the incident, claimed that this story has grown multiple heads over the years and didn’t result in any bodily functions evacuating from Seagal. “Trust me, if anybody choked out the star of the movie, which would send him to the hospital, it would shut the company down for a day,” he said. “That’s a quarter of a million dollars, right? That guy would go to jail.”
The late LeBell refused to confirm the story when he chatted to sports journalist Ariel Helwani. When asked about it, LeBell said, “Well, if a guy soils himself, you can’t criticize him, ’cause if they just had a nice big dinner an hour before, you might have a tendency to do that.”
When pressed about it, LeBell added, “Well, if 30 people are watching, let them talk about it.”
In a separate conversation with Helwani, Seagal denied that any confrontation took place. “I swear to God on my children, and they’re the most sacred thing to me in this life, if he said that, he is a pathological scumbag liar,” Seagal said, adding that Helwani should ask Palmisano, who was there.
Whether it really happened or not remains uncertain – and only the people present would know the full story. One thing’s for certain: LeBell was one of the toughest men to walk the Earth. While Seagal is no slouch in martial arts, would he have been able to handle LeBell? Let the debate rage on!
Out for Justice is available to rent or buy digitally in the US on Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home.
Out for Justice |
|---|
With his partner executed in broad daylight by a psychotic mafia enforcer, a veteran Brooklyn officer vows revenge. But is the unstoppable detective prepared to face the truth and pay the price of blood? |
 |
|---|
| Studio: Warner Bros., Kopelson Productions, Seagal/Nasso Productions, San Rocco Productions |
| Running Time: 91 minutes |
| Release Date: April 12, 1991 |
| Cast: Steven Seagal, William Forsythe, Jerry Orbach, Jo Champa |
| Director: John Flynn |
| Writers: R. Lance Hill (as David Lee Henry) |
| Genre: Martial Arts, Action |
| Box Office: $39,673,161 (U.S.) |
