Jimmy Fallon hit by 'toxic work environment' claims from 16 Tonight Show staff

07 September 2023 , 14:28

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Jimmy Fallon's beloved talk show has been hit with 'toxic workplace' claims

Jimmy Fallon 's iconic and widely adored talk show The Tonight Show has been hit with "toxic workplace" claims by current and former employees, according to a new report.

According to two current and 14 former employees speaking to Rolling Stone Magazine for a new report, the show has been toxic workplace for years. The staffers who have alleged the "toxicity" while working on the show have spoken of Jimmy's erratic behavior, the ever-changing leadership teams, and how the show has had a new show runner every year for the past nine years.

The Mirror has reached out to Jimmy's publicist for comment, although they did not immediately respond.

Jimmy Fallon's show has been hit with 'toxicity' claims (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

Seven former staffers told the outlet that their mental health was impacted by working on the show, with some even revealing that people would refer to to guests' dressing rooms as "crying rooms", with many flocking to them to let out their emotions amid the toll their job took on them.

The staffers, past and present, who spoke to Rolling Stone, all worked in a wide range of different positions, with some from the production crew and others who worked in the writers' room. One former staff member even gushed over how their job was their "dream job" but noted how it became a "nightmare very quickly". Many of the staff revealed that they left the show on their own accord due to poor mental health, while some others allege being fired.

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Touching on Jimmy's alleged "erratic behaviour", one former staffer revealed: "Sometimes we would get nice Jimmy, but that sometimes was not a lot", adding that they thought it was "really sad [to me] that this really talented man created such a horrible environment for the people there". Meanwhile, someone else added that the feedback and notes they got back from the beloved host depended on Jimmy's mood.

Rolling Stone have reported that a spokesperson for NBC defended the show when they released a statement which read: "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."

Mollie Quirk