Jimmy Fallon has extended his heartfelt apologies to the team at NBC’s Tonight Show, following allegations of cultivating a toxic workplace environment.
“I feel so bad I can’t even tell you,” he conveyed to the team during a virtual meeting, as reported by Rolling Stone magazine.
This comes after an inquiry by the publication unveiled serious accusations from 16 individuals who are either currently or formerly associated with the popular American television program.
The individuals relayed to Rolling Stone that they have experienced persistent demeaning and threatening treatment over the years.
They characterized Fallon’s behaviour as “erratic”, depending on between a “good Jimmy day” and a “bad Jimmy day”. They reported being on the receiving end of furious “outbursts”.
As per the narrative presented in Rolling Stone’s initial report that brought the allegations to light, the guest dressing areas were dubbed “crying rooms”.
“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,” a source, who wished to remain unnamed, shared with the publication.
Despite reporting their concerns to the human resources department, the problems seemed to persist without resolution, as noted by the magazine.
Every individual, both current and past staff members, who shared their experiences with Rolling Stone, asked for their identities to be protected “out of fear of retaliation”.
In an official response, a representative for NBC stated: “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”.
Following the expose by Rolling Stone, Fallon allegedly communicated to the show’s personnel: “It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends”.
Yet, a few present employees of the show have voiced their support for Fallon. One individual shared with People magazine that Fallon is “a really, really positive guy”.
“He makes a point of commending you when you do a great job and when he’s happy,” mentioned the staff member, who chose to keep their identity confidential. “I’ve never been belittled, yelled at, nothing like that.”
“I’m really happy to work there right now,” commented another staff member, who claimed to have no knowledge of “crying rooms”, in a conversation with People.
Since assuming the role of the show’s host in 2014, Fallon has worked with nine distinct showrunners, who are high-ranking TV producers, at The Tonight Show.
During Fallon’s initial stint as the host, the program garnered an audience of more than 11 million viewers.
Before his tenure on The Tonight Show, Fallon carved out a notable career in comedy while hosting NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
