Why is Jimmy Fallon getting canceled? Toxic workplace allegations explored as The Tonight Show host comes under fire

Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show host and stand-up comedian, has recently come under fire after his show's staff revealed what it was like to work with him. In an exposé released by Rolling Stone on September 7, 14 former and two current employees opened up about the "toxic" environment and Jimmy's erratic behavior.

The outlet reported that some dressing rooms were allegedly turned into "crying rooms" for the staff to release their frustration. The staff also claimed that there were “good Jimmy days” and “bad Jimmy days” on set and people always stayed wary of what they would get. The former SNL performer also appeared to be drunk while at work.

The news puzzled a lot of people online as the comedian is known for his upbeat and affable on-screen personality, as per Decider.

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Jimmy Fallon receives backlash over employees' claims of a toxic work environment

Jimmy Fallon is a television personality, actor, and comedian from New York, United States. His career skyrocketed when he became the cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live. However, Fallon is greatly known for his work on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon airing since 2014.

In an exclusive with Rolling Stone, The Tonight Show employees, two current and 14 former, talked about working on the sets with Jimmy Fallon. They spoke about aspects ranging from production crew members to office staffers to showwriters.

The staffers also spoke about the talk show host's everchanging moods and how their day depended on it.

"It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is f*cked. 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,” one former employee said.

Four of the staff alleged Jimmy Fallon would drink during working hours. Two of them talked about Fallon being "seemingly inebriated" in 2017 while the remaining two recalled instances in 2019 and 2020 when they "smelled alcohol on Fallon’s breath when they entered an elevator with him during the workday."

Many workers described how Jimmy Fallon's mood depended on whether he was hungover from the night before, as per Buzzfeed.

Jimmy Fallon tended to berate employees and use backhanded comments like "Are you OK? Seriously, do you need help?” or “Ugh, lame. He would reportedly say things like:

"What is going on with you? You’ve outdone yourself,” recalled one staff member.

People also described the toll working at The Tonight Show took on their mental health. They opened up about the "pretty glum atmosphere", makeshift "crying rooms" and how some staff often joked about wanting to kill themselves. One employee said:

"Mentally, I was in the lowest place of my life. I didn’t want to live anymore. I thought about taking my own life all the time."

The staff talked about raising issues with the HR Department through complaints but no action was taken. The former employees said they left the show because of their mental health while some were fired.

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The Tonight Show environment seems to have improved

While talking about the nine showrunners who had left or were replaced from The Tonight Show, the staff told Rolling Stone:

"Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No.’ Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners. 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."

However, Page Six reported on Thursday that the environment has "significantly shifted" since showrunner Chris Miller was appointed in May 2022. One producer said that Jimmy Fallon is more “engaged” with the employees on set and “the atmosphere is very different.”

The outlet claimed that the current staff told them that Chris was exactly what the show needed.