'The Tonight Show' Dirty Laundry Aired Out By Several Insiders Who Allege Toxic Workplace
Numerous current and former “Tonight Show” staffers allege that host Jimmy Fallon is not the friendly, fun-loving person viewers see on television.
In fact, according to many of them, Fallon can be moody, has created a toxic workplace, and even has appeared intoxicated while on the job.
Rolling Stone reported Thursday that it had spoken with 16 people who had worked or currently work on the NBC show, and each described a chaotic environment – which they attributed to the host.
Of the 16 people, only two currently work on the show. Rolling Stone went on to report:
“Seven former employees say their mental health was impacted by their alleged experiences working at The Tonight Show. These staffers say it was commonplace to hear people joking about ‘wanting to kill themselves.’”
Rolling Stone further reported that one employee recalled that the host would “snap at crew members, express irritation over the smallest of things, and berate and belittle staffers out of frustration.”
The host was alleged to have frequently had what were described as “outbursts” and was generally at times unpredictable, per the report.
“Employees who spoke to Rolling Stone about their experiences working on The Tonight Show say it’s common knowledge behind the scenes that there are ‘good Jimmy days’ — where Fallon’s wit and charm and creativity are on full display — and ‘bad Jimmy days,’” Thursday’s report said.
One employee accused Fallon of possibly being intoxicated during rehearsal for a show in 2017.
The employee recalled the host crossing off jokes on a piece of paper prior to the show’s taping. Fallon then allegedly could not recall just moments later that he had altered the jokes himself.
“He couldn’t remember he had just crossed it out himself,” the employee told Rolling Stone.
The person added, “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, he [seems] drunk. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. This could be awful — this could be the end of the show right here.’”
The story reportedly was corroborated by a second employee who spoke to the outlet.
Two other employees said they thought they smelled alcohol on Fallon’s breath on separate occasions in 2019 and 2020 when they got on an elevator with “The Tonight Show” host during the workday.
Eight ex-employees told Rolling Stone that Fallon’s behavior seemingly depended on whether he appeared to be hung over from the previous night.
Other employees alleged that the work environment was so toxic that people who worked under Fallon would go to designated “crying rooms.”
Rolling Stone also reported that “former employees describe The Tonight Show as a tense and ‘pretty glum atmosphere.'”
An NBC spokesperson defended the show but did not mention Fallon.
“We are incredibly proud of ‘The Tonight Show,’ and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,” the spokesperson said in a statement, per Rolling Stone.
“As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate.
“As is always the case, we encourage employees who feel they have experienced or observed behavior inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly.”
Deadline reported that Fallon apologized to his staffers on a call Thursday after the Rolling Stone report was published.
One person who reportedly was on the call said Fallon told his employees, “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. I never set out to create that type of atmosphere at the show. I think sometimes I’m working with the best of the best; you guys are the top of the game.”
Fallon reportedly added, “I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive for everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people. I just wanted to … say I miss you guys.”
“The Tonight Show” has been on hiatus since May due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.
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