Former and current employees at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon have made claims against the late-night host.
The Tonight Show is known to many for its high-profile celebrity guests and was spearheaded by the 48-year-old host - who is a a former comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member - since 2014.
In a new Rolling Stone report that was published on September 7, 14 ex-staff members and two current employees have shared accounts of their time on the NBC late-night program and have slammed the well-known TV host.
The former employees of the talk show alleged that their experiences on the show included declining mental health, intimidation from higher-ups including the host, and unsatisfactory treatment due to Fallon's "erratic" behavior.
These ex-staffers - whose jobs ranged from production crew to office staffers and writers - have all requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation.
Seven of the former employees claimed to the publication that it was "common knowledge" that "Fallon’s temperament, mood, and treatment of staffers is erratic" and contributed heavily to their mental health.
"Nobody told Jimmy, 'No.' Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners," a former employee claimed in the report. "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."
Other allegations in the report included the claim that staffers called the guests' dressing areas "crying rooms," as it is where they'd go to subdue their emotions. It also claimed that those who voluntarily left the program reported their experiences to human resources staff in exit interviews, while others voiced distrust with HR employees.
"It’s a bummer because it was my dream job," one former employee says. "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."
A spokesperson for NBC defended the program in a statement made to Rolling Stone that read: "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," they continued, "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."
In addition to this, the publication later reported that Fallon and showrunner Chris Miller addressed the report with the former employees over a Zoom call.
"It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad," he said, per the magazine, which cites two employees on the call. "Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends… I feel so bad I can’t even tell you."
The apology was separately confirmed by Variety, which claimed that Fallon added: "I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive for everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people."
The Tonight Show has not been on air since May when the Writers Guild of America strike began.
