 Jackie Mason (qv) was banned from the show for an alleged obscene  gesture directed at Sullivan. While Mason was performing, Sullivan  was off stage holding up two fingers signaling Mason finish in two  minutes. Mason thumbed his nose at Sullivan but Sullivan mistook the  hand gesture for the middle finger and was visibly upset. Mason sued  Sullivan for libel for reporting it in his column. Years later,  Sullivan invited Mason to appear on the show once more and  apologized to him on the air. Mason dropped the libel suit but never  appeared on the show again after that.