‘Verity’ Star Anne Hathaway’s Knicks Fandom Finally Gets Its Big ‘Tonight Show’ Payoff
Few celebrities have tied themselves to a sports team’s fortunes quite like Anne Hathaway and the New York Knicks. The Oscar winner has been spotted at multiple games and calls herself a motherly fan. Her devotion has become a running joke online, and it has finally reached a satisfying punchline.
The story goes back to April 30, when Hathaway visited ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ to promote ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2′. She told Fallon she had considered wearing an OG Anunoby jersey that day, but settled for a blue-and-orange pocket square instead. The next night, Anunoby had an incredible performance in the Knicks’ 140-89 series-clinching win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The timing only fueled the legend. ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ premiered on May 1 with a scene in which Hathaway’s character chats up Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, and the team then went on a historic 13-game winning streak. Fans turned the coincidence into a meme, and it never quite went away.
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Hathaway returned to ‘The Tonight Show’ as the lead interview guest, ahead of the release of ‘Verity’. Fallon brought up the Knicks meme and then gifted her a signed jersey from Anunoby, which she put on right away. Photos show her beaming in a blue “New York” jersey with the number 8, layered over a black off-the-shoulder top with a statement gold necklace.
Anne Hathaway at the Tonight Show pic.twitter.com/LZ9brZRmTC
— JumpTrailers (@JumpTrailers) October 1, 2026
The gift did not stop there. The Knicks also sent Hathaway a basket of baby gifts with a card signed by Anunoby, a thoughtful touch since she is about 5 months pregnant. She is expecting her third child with her husband, Adam Shulman.
Anne Hathaway on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 🖤💙 pic.twitter.com/FSll94wu8u
— Anne Hathaway Archives 📚 (@ahathawayfiles) October 1, 2026
Hathaway also made a bold confession during a game with Fallon, according to Variety. The actress said she would take another Knicks championship over a second Oscar, which says plenty about how seriously she takes her fandom. Fans quickly flooded social media with fire emojis in response to the jersey moment.
Anne Hathaway has had the craziest sense of smell during her pregnancy 😅 #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/csOr38nKBF
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) October 1, 2026
The appearance is part of the final stretch of a very busy year. ‘Verity’ arrives in theaters on Friday, Oct. 2, and it is Hathaway’s fifth and final release of 2026, following ‘Mother Mary’, ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, ‘The Odyssey’ and ‘The End of Oak Street’. She attended the film’s New York premiere at AMC Lincoln Square on Sept. 29.
The Amazon MGM Studios release is adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel and directed by Michael Showalter. Hathaway plays bestselling author Verity Crawford, Dakota Johnson plays struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, and Josh Hartnett plays Verity’s husband, Jeremy. Johnson’s character is hired to finish Verity’s book series after an accident leaves the author unable to continue.
Critics have been split. A Gold Derby roundup described the reviews as calling it the best Colleen Hoover adaptation yet, though ultimately mediocre, while Variety’s critic was far harsher. Screen Rant, meanwhile, gave the film an 8 out of 10 and called it the best Hoover adaptation to date.
Hathaway’s week has been packed beyond the Fallon stop. She also appeared outside The Drew Barrymore Show in New York on Sept. 30 in an off-the-shoulder black outfit that highlighted her baby bump. Her press looks have drawn plenty of attention throughout the tour, from a black gown at the premiere to feather-trimmed pajamas at the after-party.
After a year this crowded, a Knicks jersey on a late-night couch feels like the perfect victory lap. Hathaway has now matched her fandom with a signed piece of memorabilia and a team that clearly loves her back. Whether the Knicks’ next playoff run owes anything to her good luck remains a question for superstitious fans.
Would you choose a Knicks championship over another Oscar like Anne says she would?
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