The Tonight Show’s Jimmy Fallon accused of bullying, toxic work environment

More than a dozen of Jimmy Fallon’s staffers have come forward with allegations of a toxic workplace. Photo / AP

US Talk Show host Jimmy Fallon has been embroiled in controversy after allegations of a toxic workplace were made about the star by dozens of workers.

In a bombshell Rolling Stone tell-all, two current employees and 14 former staffers of The Tonight Show have come forward with claims they had negative experiences working alongside the TV host.

Fallon, 48, has fronted the NBC talk show since 2014, hosting live from the Rockefeller Centre in New York.

While the show is renowned for its playful tone and fun-loving host, multiple former production members have said that when the cameras weren’t rolling, the work environment was allegedly “ugly” and claimed that Fallon and other executives bullied them behind the scenes.

Fallon’s reported “erratic behaviour” was pointed out as the main issue, while other former staffers have claimed the leadership team’s regular turnover was also a problem; the show has been through nine showrunners in the past 10 years.

“Nobody told Jimmy ‘no’. Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners,” one former worker revealed.

Host Jimmy Fallon during the monologue on Friday, April 28, 2023. Photo / Getty Images

“You never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit.

“It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is f***ed.”

Jamie Granet-Bederman, who was a showrunner on the programme from 2020 to 2022, was named in the report.

An employee told Rolling Stone that Granet-Bederman had, at one point, asked a black employee, “what is going on with your hair?”

“They are the worst bosses I’ve ever had in my life,” a past worker revealed. “They use that position of power to bully and treat the staff that way, and the network is aware of how they treat people.”

Host Jimmy Fallon as Sara and talk show host Drew Barrymore during "Ew!" on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo / Getty Images

Various staffers said they reported their alleged ill-treatment to the human resources department but reportedly to no avail. One former employee claimed that they were fired “without warning” after filing a complaint.

“It’s a bummer because it was my dream job. 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,” one ex-worker said.

Seven former workers came forward about the matter, telling the publication that their mental health had been severely impacted as a direct result of working on The Tonight Show, where they would often use dressing rooms as “crying rooms”.

Host Jimmy Fallon during hashtags on Thursday, April 6, 2023. Photo / Getty Images

“Mentally, I was in the lowest place of my life. I didn’t want to live any more. I thought about taking my own life all the time,” one person said.

What’s more, multiple ex-employees claim that Fallon had a drinking problem and would be more prone to “outbursts” if he was hungover.

One former staffer said the talk show host would make ingenuine remarks, such as: “Are you okay? Seriously, do you need help?”

Taylor Swift with Jimmy Fallon. Photo / Getty Images

Fallon’s representatives declined to comment to Rolling Stone.

An NBC spokesperson told the magazine, “We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority.”

They confirmed that complaints had been filed.

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“As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate,” the statement added.

“We encourage employees who feel they have experienced or observed behaviour inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly.”

Fallon is yet to speak out about the allegations.

Sir Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Jimmy Fallon and Keith Richards attend the launch event for The Rolling Stones' new album "Hackney Diamonds" at the Hackney Empire on September 06. Photo / Getty Images

The talk show host has been in London this week, where he attended The Rolling Stones major album event on Wednesday.

The British rockers asked Fallon to host their 24th studio album launch for Hackney Diamonds, their first music release in 20 years.

In 1998, Fallon became a household name after being cast in NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Since then, he has enjoyed decades of screen-time success, with a slew of big Hollywood production roles and Emmy awards under his belt.

He wed film producer Nancy Juvonen in 2007 and the pair share two daughters together.