Jimmy Fallonhas reportedly apologized to his staff after multiple past and present staffers claimed he had fostered a “toxic” environment onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
On Thursday morning,Rolling Stonepublished a report into the workplace at the late night talk show which alleged that “The Tonight Showhas been a toxic workplace for years,” due to Fallon’s “erratic behavior.” The outlet reportedly spoke with two current and 14 former employees.
Hours after the exposé broke, the publication reported that the talk show host and showrunner Chris Milleraddressed the recent claimsover a Zoom call with employees.
Representatives for Fallon and NBC did not return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Jimmy Fallon on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’.Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty
Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty
According toRolling Stone, two employees who joined the meeting claimed that Fallon, 48, said he did not intend to “create that type of atmosphere for the show.”
“It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad,” they recalled the television personality stating during the meeting. “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends… I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.”
The employees noted that Fallon’s apology “felt pretty earnest” and claimed Fallon acknowledged the constant change in leadership in regards to its showrunners, emphasizing how Miller was “a great leader” with no plans of that changing.
“I want the show to be fun, [it] should be inclusive to everybody,” the late night host allegedly said. “It should be the best show.”
‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’.Getty Images
Though other employees toldRolling Stonethey’d witnessed Fallon “snap at crew members, express irritation over the smallest of things, and berate and belittle staffers out of frustration,” another staffer described him as “super communicative” and “a really, really positive guy” while speaking with PEOPLE.
Jimmy Fallon and his family.Jimmy Fallon Instagram
Jimmy Fallon Instagram
“He makes a point of commending you when you do a great job and when he’s happy,” said the staffer, who preferred to remain anonymous. “And any feedback I’ve received is always like, ‘Hey, we don’t need to do that again.’ It’s been very constructive and helpful for me in continuing to put together a show that he’s happy with. I’ve never been belittled, yelled at, nothing like that. It’s all exactly how a boss should give feedback to an employee.”
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Rolling Stonereportedly contacted approximately 80 employees while looking into Fallon’s alleged behavior. The outlet noted that “while many of them praised Fallon’s immense talent and comedic gifts, not a single one agreed to speak on the record or had positive things to say about working onThe Tonight Show.”
Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’.Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty
“I know this sounds cliche and quite corny: he just really wants to make people happy and have a really creative, fun show,” the staffer said. “He wants guests to leave happy and feel like they had a positive experience. He truly, genuinely feels that way.”
They continued, “Things have changed so much for the better, and it’s disheartening to see some of these old accusations being brought up again. It’s such a stressful time in the entertainment industry, I can understand how old experiences and grievances can bubble back up, but none of this sounds like the show that I’ve worked for for the past year, give or take.”
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The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallonairs weeknights at 11:35pm ET on NBC.
source: people.com
