‘Game of Thrones’ Star Jason Momoa Slapped David Benioff So Hard He Had to Go to the Hospital

Everyone knows not to mess with Khal Drogo, but Game of Thrones co-creator David Benioff learned it the hard way. In a new animated short, released as part of HBO’s Backstories initiative, Benioff recalled the moment that he challenged Jason Momoa, aka the Khal, to the “slap game,” which quickly went awry when Momoa beat the shit out of his producer’s hands. With the help of some hilarious animation, Benioff explained that his injuries were so bad — apparently his hands looked like “catchers’ mitts with the bubonic plague” — that he had to go to the hospital, where a doctor explained to him that Momoa effectively “squished” his hands. Moral of the story? “Don’t challenge the Khal,” said Benioff.

When Momoa returned to Game of Thrones to do a Season 2 cameo (his character dies at the end of Season 1), the cast and crew went drinking in Belfast to celebrate. At the bar, Denioff challenged the strong man to the slap game, which involves slapping each other’s hands until one person can’t handle it anymore. “I was like, I’m going to challenge the Khal. Because if I beat the Khal, I’m the Khal,” ssaidys Benioff. The two drank enough beer to develop an “anesthetic” blanket and began playing.

Benioff got in a few slaps, but he was no match for Momoa, who delivered “firecracker” like hits over and over again. “I looked over, and his hands were bright red,” recalled Benioff’s co-creator D.B. Weiss. “I looked in Momoa’s eyes, I saw no mercy there, but I wouldn’t quit because I had my pride,” said Benioff. After a while, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke pointed out that Benioff’s hands did not look okay. Benioff acknowledged that his hands looked “pretty bad” — “they looked like catchers’ mitts with bubonic plague on them,” he said — but figured that they would look better in the morning.

Dear reader, they did not. The next day, Benioff’s hands “had doubled in size overnight,” and when he got home to Los Angeles (he was scheduled to fly home that day), he immediately went to the ER. “[The doctor’s] diagnosis was that Jason Momoa had squished my hands,” he said. “So, it just goes to show, don’t challenge the Khal.”

Game of Thrones may have killed off Khal, but when it comes to the slap game, he’ll be the final one on the throne.

Watch Game of Thrones on HBO