Jimmy Fallon’s leadership on “The Tonight Show” is being questioned for fostering an allegedly hostile and toxic work environment. According to Rolling Stone, 16 individuals—including former and current staff members—claimed the 48-year-old’s behavior ruined their “dream” of working on the late-night show.
Fourteen former and two current employees, all opting to remain anonymous, stated that “The Tonight Show” has been a “toxic workplace for years, far outside the boundaries of what’s considered normal in the high-pressure world of late-night TV.”
They allege the environment behind the scenes is “pretty glum” and that they were “belittled and intimidated by their bosses, including Fallon himself.” These staff members disclosed details about the host’s alleged “outbursts” and noted that their grievances, brought to HR, resulted in no changes.
“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 staffer told the publication. “It’s sad that it’s like that, especially knowing that it doesn’t have to be that way.”
An ex-colleague informed the outlet that the show’s personnel are reluctant to say “no” to the host.
“Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No.’ Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners,” they said. “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.”
Seven former staffers have reported that their mental health was adversely affected by their experiences on the show, with three confessing to having entertained suicidal thoughts while working on the series.
“Mentally, I was in the lowest place of my life,” another said. “I didn’t want to live anymore. I thought about taking my own life all the time. I knew deep down I would never actually do it, but in my head, I’m like, ‘Why do I think about this all the time?'”
Two employees alleged that they witnessed Fallon drunk at work in 2017.
Another two claimed they suspected alcohol on the host’s breath during the workday. Fallon, who rose to fame as a “Saturday Night Live” star, took the helm of “The Tonight Show” in 2014.