Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Tiki Barber Fumbles An Awkward Anne Frank Comparison
By
Ben Yakas
Published May 26, 2011
Modified May 26, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published May 26, 2011
Modified May 26, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
In a boneheaded move to rival all his other boneheaded moves, former Giants star running back Tiki Barber made an incredibly ill-advised analogy between himself and Anne Frank in an interview in the latest Sports Illustrated. In it, he discussed the fallout from his new relationship with Traci Johnson, and moving into the house of his agent, where he said they were hiding out in his attic. "Lep’s Jewish, and it was like a reverse Anne Frank thing," he said.
Of course, only the most dedicated of Anne Frank scholars knows that Frank was hiding out from Nazis because she too had dumped her eight-months-pregnant wife for a 23-year-old former NBC intern. Here's the entire excerpt the quote comes from:
Barber and Johnson went into hiding in the attic of Lepselter’s house in New Jersey. “Lep’s Jewish,” says Barber, “and it was like a reverse Anne Frank thing.” (Here is Barber writ small: He has the wit and smarts to make an Anne Frank allusion and the artlessness to liken himself—an adulterer trying to elude gossip columnists—to a Holocaust victim.)
MSNBC sounds bemusedly horrified: "Yowza. Not so sure about the smarts, however." The Post calls it "despicable," and credits him with his "gift for saying exactly the wrong thing almost every time he opens his mouth." Deadspin asks the really tough questions though: "who are the reverse Nazis?" (History buffs know them as the cuddly, fun-loving Sizan army.)
Back in March, after the scandal had broke, he had lost his NBC job, was barred from his babies' birth, and was sued by cycling fitness chain Flywheel Sports, Barber announced that he was planning to unretire from the NFL. He credited his new girlfriend with inspiring him to start playing again; Johnson added, "It was tough for him to just be motivated to get dressed and do something productive with his life, instead of just sitting home with the puppies." We wonder if Anne Frank had as tough a time getting motivated when she was just sitting in her attic, playing with her puppies.
Tagged
anne frank
bad analogies
football
giants
nfl
tiki barber
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
New York Public Radio CEO steps down after 8 months on job
Chief executive Christy Tanner is resigning after just eight months at the helm. New York Public Radio is the parent organization for WNYC and Gothamist.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 13, 2026 at 9:03 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers
Because the one influencer who tried removing them got dragged, here are your early links: Upper West Side woman adopts a lot of dogs, Big Apple Triathlon returned, "NCIS" lands in New York and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers
Because the one influencer who tried removing them got dragged, here are your early links: Upper West Side woman adopts a lot of dogs, Big Apple Triathlon returned, "NCIS" lands in New York and more.
By
James Ramsay
Cyclist dies in wrong-way crash with an ambulance on Staten Island
By
Brittany Kriegstein
With election 3 weeks away, Hochul and Blakeman to square off in lone NY governor debate
By
Jon Campbell
NYC's taxi union teams with Uber, hedge fund demand healthcare after 4 driver deaths
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .