16 current and former staffers on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” alleged to Rolling Stone that they experienced a hostile work environment on the set of the long running show.
Two current employees and 14 former employees of the popular late night talk show went on record and described Fallon’s behavior as “erratic” and “unpredictable.” Fallon did not offer comment to the magazine, though his program’s parent company, NBC, continued to defend the show.
A representative for NBC claimed, “We are incredibly proud of ‘The Tonight Show‘, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority.”
“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 employees alleged staffers constantly darkly joking that they wanted to kill themselves, used dressing rooms as “crying rooms” amid Fallon’s alleged outbursts, and claimed that the production had a profoundly negative impact on their mental health.
Separate from the allegations against Fallon himself, the workers who offered anonymous statements to Rolling Stone also claimed that there were issues among senior level leadership. In the nine years since Fallon took the reins at “The Tonight Show”, there have been nine show runners.
Social Media Reactions
Some viewers were shocked and disappointed to learn of Fallon’s alleged behavior towards his employees.
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i wouldn’t have expected that from him
— allegra♡ (@theegrandeheels) September 7, 2023
Elsewhere, some maintain that they are not surprised by stories like these anymore. In recent months, allegations of toxic working environments have emerged against a number of celebrities, including body positive pop star Lizzo.
Talk show hosts being toxic? How surprising
— Mona (@RealMona_) September 7, 2023
Others wondered how Fallon would address the article’s bombshell reporting, given that he has previously expressed a fear of being cancelled. An infamous clip of the host speaking to Rupaul of “Rupaul’s Drag Race” shows his face fill with fear after Rupaul cracked a joke about drag queens.
Jimmy Fallon’s biggest fear is getting cancelled. Refer to that clip of him and RuPaul. So, I can’t imagine what these recent allegations are doing to him.
— Victor Mkhetsane (@VictorMkhetsane) September 7, 2023
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Fans of actors Martin Short and Steve Martin, who currently star opposite Selena Gomez in Hulu’s “Only Murders In The Building”, are resurfacing a clip in which Short called Fallon “phony.”
I like the one Martin Short called Jimmy Fallon phony to his face. pic.twitter.com/v5qp2it8Xd
— M.A. Bergman (@John_LeTour) September 7, 2023
Some TikTok users are joking that some pop culture aficionados attempt to claim that they always knew about these phenomenons, despite learning of the allegations with the rest of the public.
Everybody who “already knew” about Jimmy Fallon pic.twitter.com/myjvs9YsQA
— Meech (@MediumSizeMeech) September 7, 2023
Some remind readers of the article and viewers of the show to have compassion for the employees, who could have just risked their livelihoods by offering their perspectives to the magazine.
Power. It seems to win almost all the time. Big sigh … sorry this is happening to employees.
— Isn’t All It Seems????????????️???????? (@7teen2020) September 7, 2023
Despite the ongoing skepticism surrounding the allegations, some are shocked by the sheer number of employees who alleged toxic behavior in the first place. Not a single person contacted had positive reports of working on the production.
You know how hard it is to get 30 people to all agree on something? Like 30 current & former staffers all agreed Jimmy Fallon is a shit person. Ain’t nobody went to bat for him lol https://t.co/jEZM2T2DBu pic.twitter.com/vC7J0jhnq3
— Nicholas (@NicholasJLevi) September 7, 2023
Some draw comparisons to the downfall of Ellen Degeneres, a longtime daytime talk show host who also faced allegations of poor working conditions for employees in the past few years before her show came to an end.
honestly not surprised he seems kinda fake like the same vibes as Ellen
— ???? (jjk era) ???? (@en0va516) September 7, 2023
Fallon is yet to respond to the allegations made in the Rolling Stone report.
