Jerry Seinfeld denies 'idiotic' claims he forced Jimmy Fallon to apologize to staff
Jerry Seinfeld has spoken out in support of Jimmy Fallon after accusations arose that he fosters a 'toxic workplace' environment on his show.
In an article released on Wednesday (7 September) by Rolling Stone, two current and 14 former employees of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon came forward to accuse the chat show host of creating an 'ugly environment' to work in.
However, stand-up comedian Seinfeld - best known for co-writing and starring in sitcom Seinfeld - has since spoken out in Fallon's defence.
Advert
As well as the group of anonymous employees telling Rolling Stone Fallon displayed 'erratic behaviour' and fostered a 'pretty glum atmosphere,' two whistleblowers spoke out about an alleged incident which involved Seinfeld too.
Midway through filming with Seinfeld, they claim Fallon told off a member of the NBC show's crew who was in charge of his cue cards.
A former employee told the outlet: "It was very awkward, and Jerry [Seinfeld] was like, 'You should apologize to him,' almost trying to make it a joke.
"It was one of the strangest moments ever and so many people were there, so it’s kind of hard to forget."
Having been mentioned in one of the whistleblower's accounts of their time working with Fallon, Rolling Stone stated it contacted Seinfeld's representatives for comment about the incident 'multiple' times, but did not receive a reply.
Shortly after the article was published, Seinfeld then sent the outlet the following statement.
It reads: "This is so stupid. I remember this moment quite well… I teased Jimmy about a flub, and we all had a fun laugh about how rarely Jimmy is thrown off.
"It was not uncomfortable at all. Jimmy and I still occasionally recall it and laugh. Idiotic twisting of events."
Rolling Stone's reporting of the alleged incident involving Seinfeld and Fallon was also contested by another source, who told the New York Post it was 'inaccurate'.
The source claims that since May earlier this year - when new showrunner Chris Miller joined the production - the workplace culture has improved significantly.
They praised Miller for being 'exactly what the show needed,' bringing 'a renewed enthusiasm and positive energy' - the showrunner always 'available to the staff' and acting as a 'transparent leader'.
A producer on the show also added, as per the New York Post, the atmosphere has been 'very different' since 'a year and a half ago' and said Fallon is very 'engaged' with members of staff.
While not directly responding to the allegations made against Fallon, but reflecting on the workplace culture on the show as a whole, a spokesperson for NBC said in a statement: "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."
UNILAD has contacted Rolling Stone and Fallon's representatives for comment.
Topics: Jimmy Fallon, Celebrity, Mental Health, Film and TV, US News
Poppy Bilderbeck