In a Rolling Stone expose, Jimmy Fallon was accused of being “dismissive,” “irritable,” and “erratic” to employees of The Tonight Show, leading to a “toxic” work environment (and dressing rooms being turned into “crying rooms”). Things got so bad that guest Jerry Seinfeld reportedly made Fallon apologize to a crew member he was being crappy to. Fallon was offered a chance to comment before the piece went live (his representatives declined), but now that the dirt is out there, he’s apologized for his behavior.
“It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad,” Fallon said on a Zoom call to staffers, according to Rolling Stone. “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends… I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.” He did not intend to “create that type of atmosphere,” and stated that current showrunner Chris Miller, the show’s ninth in nine years, is “a great leader” and isn’t going anywhere.
A spokesperson for NBC defended the program in a statement, saying, “We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,” the spokesperson 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.”
The Tonight Show is currently on hiatus and won’t return until the strikes are resolved, although Fallon did recently start a podcast with fellow late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver.
(Via Rolling Stone)
