Staff working for Jimmy Fallon have alleged that it has become a toxic workplace, with the host's moods frequently setting the office atmosphere, a new report has detailed.
A number of staffers on The Tonight Show, which Fallon has presented since 2014, also claimed that they had even had suicidal thoughts because of the environment on the show.
Many have since come forward anonymously, claiming that the work environment is often directly dependent on Fallon's mood on any given day.
One former employee said: “It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is f–ked. People wouldn’t joke around in the office, and they wouldn’t stand around and talk to each other.
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"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.”
Another described how his alleged behaviour had led people to feel nervous.
They said: “Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners. 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.”
Former employees have also accused Fallon of snapping rudely, belittling crew members, and becoming irritated over small things.
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Some former employees have claimed that they could smell alcohol on his breath during the day.
An employee, who was not named, described an alleged incident which took place in 2017. Fallon had allegedly crossed out jokes on a piece of paper he was holding, then looked confused afterwards.
They claimed: “He couldn’t remember he had just crossed it out himself. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, he [seems] drunk. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
Staff have claimed that the effect this has had on their mental health has been profound. Some claimed that they had even considered suicide.
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A former employee said: “Mentally, I was in the lowest place of my life. I didn’t want to live anymore. I thought about taking my own life all the time.
“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,” another employee added.
“They all need to dig their heads out of the sand and do something about the very obvious problems that we all know are happening.”
Fallon has previously denied drinking.
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A spokesperson for The Tonight Show has said that the atmosphere has shifted since new showrunner Chris Miller joined last May.
They said: “He’s brought a renewed enthusiasm and positive energy to the show. Chris prides himself on being available to the staff and a transparent leader. He’s exactly what the show needed.”
A spokesperson for NBC told Rolling Stone: “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. 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.”
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UNILAD has reached out to representatives of Jimmy Fallon for comment.
Topics: News, US News, Jimmy Fallon