‘I feel so bad’: Jimmy Fallon reacts amid ‘toxic’ workplace allegations

Jimmy Fallon has addressed his staff in an emergency meeting following “toxic” workplace allegations.

US talk show host Jimmy Fallon is under fire. Picture: AP

US talk show host Jimmy Fallon has apologised to staff after being the centre of “toxic” workplace allegations, it has been reported.

Fallon reportedly held an emergency Zoom meeting, where he apologised to his staff.

“It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad,” he is quoted as having said, according to Rolling Stone.

“Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends… I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.”

The 48-year-old comedian and actor said that he wanted the “show to be fun” and “inclusive to everybody”.

He said he didn’t mean to “create that type of atmosphere for the show”.

“It show be the best show,” Fallon said.

The reported apology came after a group of current and former employees told Rolling Stone of their alleged negative experiences working with Fallon.

No laughing matter. Tonight Show staff have told Rolling Stone things aren’t so happy behind the scenes. Picture: Supplied

‘ERRATIC’ JIMMY FALLON ACCUSED ON CREATING ‘TOXIC’ WORKPLACE

US talk show host Jimmy Fallon has been accused of showing “erratic” behaviour in what they described as a “toxic” work environment.

Two current and 14 former employees, ranging from production crew members to office staffers to show writers, opened up about their alleged negative experiences working with Fallon in a bombshell report published by Rolling Stone, in which they claimed there are “good Jimmy days” and “bad Jimmy days.”

“Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No.’ Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners,” a former employee told the magazine.
“You never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit. Look how many showrunners went so quickly. We know they didn’t last long.”

Earlier this week, Fallon hosted a Rolling Stones event in London.

The allegations against the talk show host are reminiscent of those levelled at Ellen DeGeneres who was accused of fostering a “toxic” work environment. Though DeGeneres strenuously denied the claims, her reputation was damaged and she ultimately wound up her long-running daytime show sooner than expected.

Earlier this week, Jimmy Fallon hosted a Rolling Stones event in London. Picture: Trevor Adams/Matrix Pictures

According to a report in the New York Post, the anonymous current employees and former staffers told Rolling Stone that The Tonight Show has been a toxic workplace behind the scenes for years, from Fallon’s “erratic behaviour” to the show’s revolving-door leadership teams. (There have been nine showrunners in the past nine years.)

Two employees told the publication that Fallon seemed drunk at work in 2017. Another pair of workers claimed to have smelled alcohol on the host’s breath in an elevator on separate occasions in 2019 and 2020.

In 2016, the New York Post reported that staff were concerned about his drinking habits and that he was told to cut back on alcohol.

Jimmy Fallon has been hosting The Tonight Show since 2014. Picture: AP

However, he denied the claims the following year, telling the New York Times, “I could never do a day-to-day job if I was drinking every night. That’s just kicking you when you’re down.”

Ex-staffers described the show as a tense and “pretty glum atmosphere” where some were bullied and belittled by bosses including Fallon.

The 48-year-old Fallon was also accused of having unexpected “outbursts,” which were allegedly reported to HR without any action being pursued.

A few of the former employees said the toxic work environment impacted their mental health. They also reportedly referred to guests’ dressing rooms in the office as “crying rooms”.

Rolling Stone reported that four employees said they were in therapy and three others had experienced suicidal ideation because of their experience working on the show.

Jimmy Fallon has hosted the hit US talk show since 2014. Picture: Getty Images

“Mentally, I was in the lowest place of my life. I didn’t want to live anymore. I thought about taking my own life all the time,” a former employee claimed.

“I knew deep down I would never actually do it, but in my head, I’m like, ‘Why do I think about this all the time?’”

Some also felt a constant fear that they would lose work if they did not do a perfect job.

“The producers felt this pressure, and that translated down to all of their employees. People that worked under them then felt this pressure that if you made one mistake, you were gone and would be easily replaced,” another ex-staffer claimed.

Ellen DeGeneres and Pink during the talk show host’s final show. DeGeneres was also accused of fostering a “toxic” workplace environment. Picture: Warner Bros.

“You have all these NBC pages in the building who are ready, willing and waiting to take your job.”

Employees alleged that their workday depended on Fallon’s ever-changing mood.

“It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is f**ked,” an employee said.
“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.”

Aussie Succession star appeared on The Tonight Show in March. Picture: Getty Images

The former workers asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation. The magazine reported that many of the ex-employees either exited the show to protect their mental health or were fired.

However, a show source told the New York Post that many of the accusations are coming from former staffers, alleging that the work environment has significantly shifted since new showrunner Chris Miller joined the show last May.

“He’s brought a renewed enthusiasm and positive energy to the show,” the source told the Post.

Jimmy Fallon with Dave McCormack and Melanie Zanetti (the voices of Bandit and Chilli from Bluey). Supplied

“Chris prides himself on being available to the staff and a transparent leader. He’s exactly what the show needed.”

Another producer on the show said that Fallon is extremely “engaged” with the staff and “the atmosphere is very different”.

“There’s a new wave that came in a year and a half ago and has just made everything change,” the producer tells us, explaining that a new head booker and new head writer were also hired.

Fallon has yet to publicly respond to the accusations, though US network NBC defended its late-night program without directly addressing the host himself.

“We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,” a network spokesman said in a statement.

“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 behaviour inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly.”

– with the New York Post