Meanwhile, Jerry Seinfeld speaks out about claims that he forced the 'Tonight Show' host to apologize to an employee after witnessing Jimmy belittle an employee for messing up his cue cards.
- Sep 8, 2023
AceShowbiz - Jimmy Fallon was spotted in his first public appearance after being hit with toxic work environment accusations. "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" host seemed to be in good spirits when arriving at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on Thursday, September 7, just hours after the bombshell report hit the web.
In the pictures from his sighting, Jimmy sported a casual look in black pants, a white T-shirt and an unbuttoned tan sweater. The former "Saturday Night Live" star seemingly tried to go incognito with dark sunglasses and a blue Yankees hat.
The sighting came after Jimmy issued an apology to "Tonight Show" staffers following a damning report by Rolling Stone which claimed that he showed "erratic behavior" on the late-night talk show. "It's embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends. I feel so bad I can't even tell you," he allegedly said during a Zoom meeting with "Tonight Show" employees, per Variety.
He went on adding in the brief Zoom meeting, "I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive for everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people."
In the shocking Rolling Stone report, several former staff members of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" detailed the toxic work environment happening behind the scenes. Some of them claimed that their mental health worsened during their time working on the show. It also pointed out that nine different showrunners had managed the show after Jimmy took over Jay Leno's hosting duty in 2014.
"Nobody told Jimmy, 'No.' Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners," a former employee told the news outlet. "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."
It was also said that the show had a "cry room" on the set where employees could unwind themselves due to the hostile work environment. "It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone's day is f**ked," one former employee revealed. "People wouldn't joke around in the office, and they wouldn't stand around and talk to each other. It was very much like, focus on whatever it is that you have to do because Jimmy's in a bad mood, and if he sees that, he might fly off."
Jimmy was also accused of appearing drunk at work during a rehearsal and couldn't recall crossing out a joke in his notes. "He couldn't remember he had just crossed it out himself," an employee said. "I was like, 'Oh, my God, he [seems] drunk. He doesn't know what he's doing. This could be awful - this could be the end of the show right here.' "
Meanwhile, Jerry Seinfeld spoke out about claims that he witnessed Jimmy belittle an employee for messing up his cue cards during a segment with the comedian. An ex-employee alleged that Jerry forced Jimmy to apologize. "It was very awkward, and Jerry [Seinfeld] was like, 'You should apologize to him,' almost trying to make it a joke," they told the outlet. "It was one of the strangest moments ever and so many people were there, so it's kind of hard to forget."
Defending his fellow comedian, Jerry told the magazine in a statement on Thursday, "This is so stupid. I remember this moment quite well … I teased Jimmy about a flub, and we all had a fun laugh about how rarely Jimmy is thrown off." He added, "It was not uncomfortable at all. Jimmy and I still occasionally recall it and laugh. Idiotic twisting of events."
