Late-night comedian Jimmy Fallon reportedly apologized to his staff following a lengthy exposé in Rolling Stone alleging serious workplace abuse.
As Breitbart News reported, Rolling Stone interviewed “two current and 14 former employees, ranging from production crew members to office staffers to show writers,” who confirmed that The Tonight Show could be a “nightmare” place to work.
“Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No.’ Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners,” one 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.”
“It’s a bummer because it was my dream job,” said another former employee. “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.”
It should be noted that a separate report from Page Six cited “an anonymous show source who said the work environment has significantly improved since new showrunner Chris Miller arrived in May.”
Hours after the news broke, Fallon and Chris Miller hosted a Zoom conference with the current staffers where the comedian apologized profusely. Per Rolling Stone:
Two employees who were in the meeting say Fallon apologized and he said he did not intend to “create that type of atmosphere for the show.”
“It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad,” the employees say Fallon said. “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends… I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.”
According to the employees, who say the message from the talk show host “felt pretty earnest,” Fallon also acknowledged the amount of turnover The Tonight Show has had in regard to its showrunners. They say Fallon emphasized that current showrunner Chris Miller is “a great leader” and isn’t going anywhere. “I want the show to be fun, [it] should be inclusive to everybody,” Fallon said, according to the employees. “It should be the best show.”
While NBC did not comment on the apology or the initial report, a representative for the network stood by The Tonight Show and what it has accomplished.
“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.”
The Tonight Show has been on hiatus for several months in the wake of the WGA strike in Hollywood.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.