Following allegations made by anonymous past and present staff members of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon accusing host Jimmy Fallon of fostering a “toxic” work environment at the show, the titular entertainer has reportedly apologized to his employees, saying he did not intend to “create that type of atmosphere for the show.”
Insiders allege that Fallon hosted an all-hands Zoom meeting soon after an exposé was published in Rolling Stone Thursday revealing the discord behind the scenes at the late night stalwart. At the meeting, attendees claim, the host addressed the article, which accused him of “erratic behavior” contributing to a negative working environment at The Tonight Show.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Accused Of 'Toxic' Work Environment In Article
In a report released by Rolling Stone on Thursday, 16 anonymous staffers—2 current and 14 former—all accused The Tonight Show and host Jimmy Fallon himself of being an "ugly environment behind the scenes," fueled by Fallon's "erratic" behavior and a constant turnover in leadership (the show has had 9 showrunners since Fallon took over as host in 2014). Employees alleged that these showrunners, through to current helmer Chris Miller, were always unable to "say no to Jimmy" and often engaged in poor professional behavior themselves. One source noted, "I just don't think they've landed on a leader who can keep it together." Other serious allegations included that Fallon has supposedly been encountered at work while actively drunk, and that the former Saturday Night Live cast member would "snap at crew members, express irritation over the smallest of things, and berate and belittle staffers out of frustration."
Crew members also talked of how the negative work culture of the show affected them emotionally. "Mentally, I was in the lowest place of my life," one ex-staffer told the publication of their time at the late-night chat show. "I didn't want to live anymore. I thought about taking my own life all the time...I knew that deep down I would never actually do it, but in my head, I'm like, 'Why do I think about this all the time?'"
EXCLUSIVE: Sixteen current and former staffers say Jimmy Fallon’s erratic behavior spoiled their “dream” of working on The Tonight Show.
“You never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit.”https://t.co/SPY0ZkoXNA — Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) September 7, 2023
It's worth noting that, after the exposé hit publication, other staffers reached out to People—also anonymously—to provide a different perspective on the situation. These employees told the magazine that Jimmy, contrary to the article's portrayal, was actually "super communicative" and "a really, really positive guy." One staffer said that, "[Jimmy] makes a point of commending you when you do a great job and when he's happy. And any feedback I've received is always like, 'Hey, we don't need to do that again.' It's been very constructive and helpful for me in continuing to put together a show that he's happy with. I've never been belittled, yelled at, nothing like that. It's all exactly how a boss should give feedback to an employee."
However, across the more than 80 past and present Tonight Show employees contacted for the article, not a single one agreed to speak on the record or had anything positive to say about working on the legendary late-night production. "It's a bummer because it was my dream job," said a former employee. "Writing for late night is a lot of people's dream jobs, and they're coming into [this show] and it becomes a nightmare very quickly. It's sad that it's like that, especially knowing that it doesn't have to be that way."
Jimmy Fallon Addresses Exposé In Staff Zoom Meeting: 'I Feel So Bad'
The Rolling Stone article went viral soon after hitting the internet, and it seems that the story understandably caused quite a stir behind the scenes at The Tonight Show. Rolling Stone updated their original report to note that 2 employees who were part of a staffer Zoom meeting soon after publication said that Fallon, who hosted the video call with current showrunner Chris Miller, said he did not intend to "create that type of atmosphere for the show."
"It's embarrassing and I feel so bad," the staffers said Fallon told the call's participants. "Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends...I feel so bad, I can't even tell you." The same employees noted to the publication that the host's apology "felt earnest" and said that Fallon did acknowledge the high showrunner turnover rate at the late-night show over the last several years, and his intended vision for the workplace. "I want the show to be fun, [it] should be inclusive to everybody...it should be the best show," Fallon allegedly said.
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After the original article published, The Tonight Show's broadcaster, NBC, released a statement about the allegations to People. "We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority," it said. "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."
There is no word as to whether these allegations will affect the current staffing situation at the show, including the employees, host Fallon, and showrunner Miller.
