Jimmy Fallon has reportedly apologized to employees after they accused him of creating a toxic workplace on the set of The Tonight Show.
The news comes after 14 ex-staff members and two current employees blasted the well-known TV host in a damning report published by Rolling Stone on September 7.
The former employees of the talk show alleged that their experiences on the NBC late-night program were detrimental to their mental health, stating that the host would "snap at crew members, express irritation over the smallest of things, and berate and belittle staffers out of frustration".
They also claimed to have had poor treatment from the 48-year-old due to his "erratic" behavior and claimed that he was drunk at work. In addition to this, they alleged that they faced intimidation from higher-ups.
These ex-staffers - whose jobs ranged from production crew to office staffers and writers - have all requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation.
The report said that the employees had a "cry room" on the set - a place for them to calm their emotions - and also noted that those who voluntarily left the program reported their experiences to human resources staff in exit interviews, while others voiced distrust with HR employees.
One former worker told the publication: "It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone's day is f***ed," explaining: "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."
The report pointed out that possibly exacerbating matters is the fact that the show had several showrunners over the years since Fallon took over hosting duties in 2014. In total, nine different people have held the position.
Furthermore, one ex-staffer claimed that the showrunners "walked on eggshells" around Fallon and were afraid to say "no." They also claimed that due to his behavior, showrunners "went so quickly" because "you never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit".
At first, 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."
However, Rolling Stone published a follow-up report that revealed that Fallon and current showrunner Chris Miller apologized to the former employees over a Zoom call.
"It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad," he allegedly said. "Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends … I feel so bad I can’t even tell you."
Variety reported that he also 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 magazine disclosed that Miller also sent out an email to employees to discuss the matter, and it read: "I wanted to make you all aware of an online story that just hit on rollingstone.com that includes past allegations of inappropriate behavior at the show.
"While I know the reporter reached out to many of you before the piece ran, I don’t believe what’s written is reflective of the overall culture of our extraordinary team that I’m so lucky and proud to work with every day. The place described in the article is not the place I know.
"Still, it’s disappointing to see something published that does not capture the positive and inclusive environment I believe we have created together," he allegedly said, before encouraging employees "to raise any concerns they might have with him, their managers, or HR".
