Fallon Team Trembles at the Thought of ‘Jimmy’s Dreadful Days’

Rolling Stone magazine has released a comprehensive report that exposes a “toxic” work environment on the set of the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. This report is based on the testimonies of 14 former staffers and two current ones. The allegations start with the host himself. According to the report, on what are known as “bad Jimmy days,” Fallon would sometimes explode at a staffer for the tiniest mistake or seem disoriented during rehearsals. Two former staffers claimed that Fallon was drunk at work, while another pair mentioned smelling alcohol on his breath in the elevator. The report suggests that his excessive drinking from the night before often determined the course of the day. One former staffer revealed, “When something was wrong, we all knew how to behave afterward, which was just sort of avoid eye contact and don’t make another mistake.” Additionally, the report states that Fallon is notorious for disguising personal attacks as feedback.

The article mentions a specific incident during the taping of a sketch with Jerry Seinfeld, where Fallon berated the staffer holding cue cards. A former employee described it as “very awkward,” with Seinfeld suggesting that Fallon apologize to the staffer in a joking manner. Fallon reportedly followed through with the apology, creating one of the strangest moments ever. Fallon did not comment on the article, and none of his nine Tonight Show showrunners (spanning nine years) provided their input. While many praised Fallon’s comedic talent, Krystie Lee Yandoli of Rolling Stone reached out to approximately 80 people, and not a single one agreed to speak on the record or had positive things to say about working on The Tonight Show. While NBC defended the show, they notably did not mention Fallon himself. If you’d like to read the entire story, including the staff’s accounts of how the toxic atmosphere impacted their mental and physical well-being (similar to criticisms faced by Ellen DeGeneres), click here.