Jimmy Fallon Breaks Silence on ‘Tonight Show’ Toxic Accusations

The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon reportedly apologized Thursday to the show’s staff after 16 current and former employees charged him with creating a “toxic” workplace environment during their tenure. Rolling Stone reports that in a Zoom call he reportedly held with his staff Thursday evening, the host expressed regret for his actions and asked for forgiveness. 

“I feel so bad I can’t even tell you,” Fallon is reported to have told staffers during a meeting. Several staff members claim Fallon’s apology “felt pretty earnest.” He allegedly said, “It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends… I feel so bad I can’t even tell you. … I want the show to be fun, [it] should be inclusive to everybody. … It should be the best show.” 

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Rolling Stone published an exposé about Fallon’s alleged unpredictable behavior behind the scenes. Former and current employees spoke about the star’s “hissy fits” that caused them to break down in “crying rooms,” caused their hair to fall out, as well as triggered suicidal thoughts. They claimed that Fallon’s erratic behavior, including “outbursts” toward workers, is at the root of a “pretty glum atmosphere.” Even though Fallon’s light-hearted anecdotes, games, challenges, and trivia garner millions of weekly views online, Rolling Stone reported unpredictable mood swings. “It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is f—,” a former employee told the outlet.

“People wouldn’t joke around in the office, and they wouldn’t stand around and talk to each other. It was very much like, focus on whatever it is that you have to do because Jimmy’s in a bad mood, and if he sees that, he might fly off.” According to reports, his inconsistent and abrasive attitude permeates the program’s chain of command, where nine showrunners have been involved in the past nine years. 

“I just don’t think they’ve landed on a leader who can keep it together,” another former staffer told Rolling Stone. None of the nine showrunners opted to speak in a negative or positive light about the show. More than 50 current and former Tonight Show employees were interviewed for the story; no one praised the work environment or spoke on the record.

Under the condition of anonymity, the 16 people who did speak up worked in production crews and writers rooms in various roles. However, DailyMail.com reports that a source close to the Tonight Show told them: “The things being reported in this article happened years ago and just aren’t reflective of the atmosphere today. Nobody is denying that things happened in the past, but any previous issues have been dealt with, and everyone has moved on since then. A lot of these are old anecdotes that have already been reported, and it’s unclear to everyone why they’re being brought up again years later.  So many current staff members have positive things to say about the show, but they aren’t being given a chance. This isn’t who Jimmy is, and this isn’t in any way what the show is like today.”

A spokesperson for NBC told Rolling Stone that The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is the same as any other workplace. “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.”