A Christmas Story Cast & Homeowner Reunites After Viral Public Confrontation
Credit: TMZ
It's a feel-good moment no one was expecting! After a brief public confrontation, the A Christmas Story family is back together again. Fans of the beloved holiday classic film can rejoice now that the actor who played Grover Dill, and the current homeowner of the iconic house from the movie, have reconciled their differences. The Christmas spirit is definitely in the air! Read on to learn more about what happened and the A Christmas Story family reunion.
What Happened?
The recent public confrontation between Brian Jones and Yano Anaya, associated with the iconic A Christmas Story House, has been making headlines. Brian, who owns the house, had accused Yano of being a "scammer, loser, and piece of s**t." Brian stated in an interview with TMZ and Today that he was concerned about a GoFundMe page that he believed at the time Yano created. However, according to Yano's business partner, Emmanuel Soba, Yano did not make a GoFundMe page. A fan in Yano Anaya's 'A Christmas Story Family' group later posted, apologizing for any confusion and mishap he created. The fan, Paul Bachmann, who's a volunteer for the group admitted to being the one that created the page in Emmanuel's name because he wanted to donate and saw 100's of other people commenting in the group that they too wanted to donate. He elaborated that the donations page wasn't active, and he never made any posts promoting it. According to Paul, the day before the altercation with Brian, he approached Yano about the page he had created. Yano told him to take it down because he was not interested in it. A fan visiting the 'A Christmas Story House' recorded the outburst, and TMZ aired it back in November.
The craziest part of all this is that it happened on the same day the Ohio State of Representatives released a proclamation declaring November 18th of every year a Holiday, the A Christmas Story Family Day. Right after Yano, his team, his business partner Emmanuel Soba, and Drew Hocevar (who played the male Elf in the movie) finished accepting the proclamation live on Cleveland 19 News on the Cribbs in The CLE show; they left directly to the house, where the now infamous debacle took place.
The Aftermath
The video of Brian Jones' outburst and banning Yano from the house went viral fast, leaving Yano Anaya "Grover Dill" from the 1983 classic film "A Christmas Story" shocked and confused. The incident sparked an outpouring of public support for Yano Anaya, as well as criticism of Brian Jones' behavior. The video's release and public outcry led to an apology from Brian Jones, expressing his regret for how he acted. TMZ and other media outlets reached out to Yano to get his side, but he refused to comment.
The Reunion
After weeks of tensions, Yano Anaya and Brian Jones reunited for breakfast on New Year's Eve in Atlanta. During the meeting, Brian explained his reason for the outburst. He apologized for assuming that Yano was trying to get over on him. The two put their differences aside and are moving forward as a united family.
Yano said in his post on his A Christmas Story Family Facebook page and Instagram account, "So... in my experience of life, a family may always have dysfunction, arguments, fights, yelling, etc. But love always finds a way to reconcile."
The A Christmas Story house later shared Yano's post and said, "What's your New Year's Resolution? For Yano and Brian, it was reconciliation, reconnecting, and rekindling an almost 20-year friendship."
What's next for the family?
Yano has expressed his A Christmas Story Family group interest in buying the house and maintaining the tradition. Brian confirmed to TMZ that the two are working together to qualify Yano as a potential buyer. Time will only tell if Yano's A Christmas Story Family business can secure the house. However, either way, it looks like the family has reconciled and is looking to find a resolution for the beloved A Christmas Story House and keep the Legacy Alive!
This story is an excellent reminder that family is everything. Even though you may have family disagreements at some point in your life, kissing and making up is always easy and good for the soul and the rest of the family. Life is too short for grudges and animosity; besides, you must lead from the front. You never know who's watching.
If you haven't heard about the A Christmas Story Family and want to learn more, here are some resources:
- Read about who we are, how we got started, and our mission here: learn more.
- Join our free Community here: ACSF Community.
- Learn more about how you can have direct access to the cast and so much more: Learn about the A Christmas Story VIP Community
Years ago when Brian Jones made the decision to purchase "The Christmas Story House, my hubby and I read an article inviting people to come and see the humble beginnings of what it was and what it was going to become. We liked what we read and decided this was something we would both like to know more about, so the day after Thanksgiving, we drove the hour and a half trip to see what was going on. There was a tall plastic leg at the front door where you dropped in a donation to help be a part of this dream which we were happy to do. Walls were gone, holes in the floor and a lot of work was going on. In my mind I saw the dream and wanted to be a part of it. I spoke to the mgr. of the house and assured him I could help find furnishing for the house that were the same as in the movie. As time went by, I located original gift boxes from Higbee’s but my best find was the flush-box toilet up in the bathroom. It had to be a wooden flush box and an original. Very rare…but we found one and there it stands as the only monument to what I consider a very proud moment in my life. I miss the conventions….I hope they come back as they were so much fun and meeting the former actors on a personal level was something I really enjoyed. Each actor in his own way made for a fun evening of dinner and a lot of laughter. I met Brian Jones in the early days of the developing of the house and clearly he loved what he was doing and I knew he was a good man. He has completed his dream and I wish him well…but it won’t seem the same without him no longer involved..but life goes on. Sadly, the last Anniversary my hubby and I celebrated was spending several nights in the Bumpus House. A gift from our kids. My wonderful husband passed away unexpectedly a few months later but I will cherish the time we did have together in a place that we both enjoyed so much and were a part of it’s humble beginnings. Thanks for the memories Brian…and the very best to you and your family. May all your new dreams come true!
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