Jimmy Fallon apologises after staff reveal “toxic workplace”
"I feel so bad I can’t even tell you," Jimmy Fallon tells staff following reports of poor atmosphere behind the scenes.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Jimmy Fallon has apologised to his staff at The Tonight Show following a Rolling Stone report that accused the host and late night talk show of creating a “toxic workplace.”
Fallon and showrunner Chris Miller held a Zoom meeting on Thursday to address the report, and the host apologised for past behaviour cited in the story. Rolling Stone cited a number of current and former Tonight staffers who detailed incidents of Fallon berating employees on the late night show and giving what one former staffer described as passive-aggressive feedback on their work.
“It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends,” Fallon said during the meeting. “I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.” He also said he never intended to “create that type of atmosphere” on The Tonight Show.
“I want this show to be fun,” he said. “It should be inclusive for everybody.”
Several former staff members spoke to Rolling Stone about what they described as a toxic work environment behind the scenes of the NBC late night program. Some of these staffers said their mental health worsened during their time on the show, where they alleged Fallon could lash out under pressure.
The program has had six different groups of leadership teams in its nine years on TV. In 2014, Josh Lieb started off as showrunner. Mike DiCenzo, Katie Hockmeyer, and Gerard Bradford took over as a trio in 2016. Then Jim Bell had a short stint from 2018 until 2019, followed by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and Tonight Show veteran Gavin Purcell from 2019 to 2020. Jamie Granet-Bederman and Nedaa Sweiss replaced Purcell in 2020 as co-showrunners until Chris Miller landed the job in March 2022.
“I just don’t think they’ve landed on a leader who can keep it together,” one former staffer says.
And that’s created a chaotic atmosphere among staffers, many of whom have lost faith in senior leadership.
“Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No.’ Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners,” another former employee says. “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 was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is f***ed,” one former employee says. “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.”
Five employees say they spoke to HR about their experiences behind the scenes of The Tonight Show in their exit interviews when they voluntarily left the show as well as during their time of employment. One longtime employee says they never reported their issues to HR because early on in their tenure at the show, they saw colleagues of theirs attempt to speak to human resources representatives and subsequently get fired from the show.
“They don’t protect us,” the former staffer says. “They don’t do anything for us.”
A spokesperson for NBC defended the program — but, notably, did not mention Fallon himself.
“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 Starring Jimmy Fallon previously screened in Australia on Foxtel but broadcasts concluded several years ago.
Source: Rolling Stone, Variety, Hollywood Reporter
- Tagged with The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
8 Responses
Bloody hell… Imagine what they’re hiding/not hiding on shows like The View.
Ironic that this article popped up today as I was just asking a group of people the other day the following question: “Who here is old enough to remember when the HR department was there as much for the employee as they were for the employer”? It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when things changed, but I’m thinking it was around the turn of the century.
The Larry Sanders show nailed everything late night talk show back in the nineties. Things have clearly not changed.
Yet another seemingly genial US talk show host turns out to be anything but. Ellen, Corden, now Fallon. Did Bill “we’ll do it live” O’Reilly run some sort of a-hole training camp for on air talent over there?
Doesn’t the show now air on 7Bravo before the strike.
Never been much of a fan…I found him obnoxious and full of himself…this is probably proof of someone’s ego getting bigger than the boots they are paid to fill ….you don’t lash out at people who are there to assist you just because you can’t get your own way..or your having a bad day….period.
I’m indifferent to Fallon these days I used to watch the show but was tired of “Everyone was the best”
I’m curious as to why Jimmy Kimmel hasn’t been “canceled” yet due his time on The Man Show
It will be interesting if this topic is discussed on any of the upcoming Strike Force 5 podcasts. I’m sure they all have stories about the late night workspaces, where they have gone wrong and what they have done to better the experiences for everyone there.