Multiple current and former staff on Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’ have spoken out about a horrendous workplace environment, with Fallon allegedly responsible for the chaos.
Rolling Stone contacted over 80 representatives and past and present employees. According to the article, "not a single one had positive things to say about working on ‘The Tonight Show” with some “alleging they were belittled and intimated by bosses, including Fallon”.
Staff told the publication that joking about suicide at the office was common, their mental health “deteriorated”, including to the point of “hair thinning and weakened nail beds”, and multiple had to enter therapy, with one having suicidal thoughts.
It all allegedly stems from the main man’s “erratic” behaviour. Some employees even said he would turn up to work drunk. The publication reported two occasions where staff smelt alcohol on the host’s breath, and employees believed “Fallon’s behaviour seemed to be dependent on if he appeared to be hungover from the night before”.
“If Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is f*cked,” one past staff member told Rolling Stone. “People wouldn’t joke around in the office, and they wouldn’t stand around and talk to each other.”
“When something was wrong, we all knew how to behave afterwards, just sort of avoid eye contact and don’t make another mistake,” another said. “It would happen over the smallest thing.”
“It was just really, really sad to me that this really talented man created such a horrible environment for the people there,” one more shared.
Fallon dished out “passive-aggressive personal insults” during feedback sessions and would “scold” employees in front of others, including celebrity guests.
During one “unforgettable moment”, one staff member claimed that comedian Jerry Seinfeld witnessed Fallon verbally rip into a staff member. Seinfeld told Fallon to say sorry.
“It was very awkward,” the staff member recalled. “Jerry was like, ‘You should apologise to him,’ almost trying to make it a joke. It was one of the strangest moments ever and so many people were there, so it’s kind of hard to forget.”
The leadership figures beneath Fallon were apparently just as bad. One employee was fired for no reason, others were scared to talk to HR, and some even experienced racist comments from superiors.
“They are the worst bosses I’ve ever had in my life,” one staff said. “They use that position of power to bully and treat staff that way, and the network is aware of how they treat people. “They not only continue to enable it, but they reward it.”
“They don’t do anything to protect us,” another shared. “They don’t do anything for us”.
Fallon is yet to respond to the allegations. He has just started the podcast 'Strike Force Five' alongside fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Stephen Colbert, so that'll be something to stay tuned in to.
