(NewsNation) — More than a dozen current and former employees of “The Tonight Show” claim host Jimmy Fallon has engaged in “erratic behavior” that has created a culture of fear and anxiety on the set of the NBC late-night show.
The allegations were detailed in an exclusive report from Rolling Stone, which spoke to two current and 14 former staffers. They described Fallon as unpredictable and how they would be uncertain whether he would show up to work friendly or mean.
Staffers claim the workplace was often tense and “glum,” with some alleging intimidation and belittlement by bosses, including Fallon.
“It’s a bummer because it was my dream job,” one of the former employees told the news outlet. “Writing for late night is a lot of people’s dream jobs, and they’re coming into this 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.”
While Fallon did not comment on the record for the story, Rolling Stone reports he apologized to staff in a Zoom call after it was published, citing two people who were on the call.
“It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad,” Fallon reportedly said. “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends … I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.”
In a statement to Rolling Stone, a spokesperson for NBC defended the program.
“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.”
Fallon is the latest TV show host to face allegations of fostering a toxic workplace. Others include Ellen DeGeneres, Kelly Clarkson and Phil McGraw of “Dr. Phil.”
Some of the employees who spoke with Rolling Stone also said Fallon appeared hungover or inebriated on multiple occasions in 2017, 2019 and 2020. He has previously denied allegations about drinking on the job, specifically in a New York Times profile published in 2017.
Eight employees told Rolling Stone his behavior appeared to be dependent on whether he was hungover.
“When something was wrong, we all knew how to behave afterward, which was just sort of avoid eye contact and don’t make another mistake,” a former staffer told the news outlet. “It would happen over the smallest thing … We would have to shut the whole thing down, the sketch isn’t happening, and when things like that would happen, you would just beat yourself up.”
One source close to the show told The Daily Mail the allegations are “historic” and that everyone has “moved on.”