'Tonight Show' Exposed: Staffers Accuse Jimmy Fallon of Being Drunk on Set, Berating Workers and Creating Toxic Work Environment
Jimmy Fallon was accused of creating a toxic work environment by a number of former and current "Tonight Show" staffers.
Jimmy Fallon has been accused of creating a toxic work environment by a number of former and current Tonight Show staffers, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a shocking development to come as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon remains on hiatus as a result of the ongoing Hollywood strikes, Fallon was accused of creating a toxic work environment, berating staffers, and even drinking on the job.
The concerning allegations against Fallon were made on Thursday in a bombshell "Tonight Show" exposé published by Rolling Stone.
The damning allegations against Fallon were made on Thursday in a bombshell Tonight Show exposé published by Rolling Stone.
Multiple anonymous employees of The Tonight Show spoke to the outlet about Fallon's “ever-changing moods and erratic behavior” which allegedly had a negative impact on the entire team.
"It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is messed up,” one former employee told Rolling Stone.
The employees also described an atmosphere where joking and socializing were discouraged out of fear of setting Fallon off.
"It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is messed up,” one former staffer said. "This could be awful."
The allegations went even further and indicated that Fallon would sometimes arrive at work intoxicated.
Eight former employees revealed that Fallon's allegedly toxic behavior seemed to depend on whether he was hungover from the night before.
Four employees alleged that Fallon was seen drinking during work hours, while two more employees claimed that Fallon appeared to be "inebriated" during work in 2017.
Another two staffers claimed that they smelled alcohol on Fallon’s breath multiple times between 2019 and 2020.
Other staffers accused Fallon of drinking on the job.
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According to one incident detailed in the bombshell exposé, Fallon was allegedly so intoxicated that he couldn't even remember crossing out jokes on a piece of paper he had been holding.
"I was like: Oh, my God, he [seems] drunk. He doesn't know what he's doing,” one staffer recalled. “This could be awful — this could be the end of the show right here."
Rolling Stone’s exposé suggested that the senior leadership on The Tonight Show, which has seen nine showrunners in nine years, only enabled Fallon's behavior.
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Former employees claimed that nobody told Fallon "no" and that showrunners were constantly walking on eggshells around the 48-year-old comedian because they never knew whether Fallon would “throw a temper tantrum.”
The toxic work environment allegedly led to significant mental health issues among staffers, and some employees reportedly joked about wanting to "hurt themselves" while others would seek solace in dressing rooms that they referred to as "crying rooms."
Meanwhile, an NBC spokesperson since stated that a respectful working environment is a "top priority" and that issues raised by employees have been investigated and appropriate action has already been taken.
"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" was recently renewed by NBC through 2026.
“We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,” the NBC spokesperson said following the damning exposé.
“As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues,” they continued. “Those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate.”
The spokesperson also encouraged employees to report any behavior inconsistent with their policies.
“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.”
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was recently renewed by NBC through 2026.
The show is currently on hiatus due to the ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.
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