Jimmy Fallon Steers Clear of Questions About Allegations of ‘Toxic Workplace’ at ‘The Tonight Show’

Jimmy Fallon steered clear of discussing anything related to the atmosphere of The Tonight Show in a recent interview.

Nearly a month after the late-night show host was criticized for allegedly running a toxic workplace, Fallon made an appearance at the Broadway opening of Gutenberg! The Musical! on October 12, Page Six reported. “I’m so happy to be back I can’t even tell you, I missed the show so much. I miss interviewing everyone so much, I was just interviewing my wife for the last five months and she got bored of me so she’s so happy I’m out of the house,” he told the outlet. 

“The show is back, we’re back to telling monologue jokes, back to making people feel happy, I’m so thankful and happy to be back,” he continued. 

But when the talk show host was pointedly asked about the Rolling Stone expose that first disclosed the toxic workplace allegations, Fallon completely sidestepped the question and declined to answer. The host simply shrugged and reiterated, “Yeah, I’m happy to be back,” and walked away.

In a thorough investigation that was released by the magazine last month, 14 former workers and two current Tonight Show employees testified that Fallon belittled and harassed his staff members, which they said contributed to a “glum atmosphere” on the late-night program.

Jimmy Fallon has been accused by the employees of acting in an “erratic” manner in a “toxic” work environment. The shocking report has two current and fourteen former employees—who included show writers, office workers, and members of the production crew—on record explaining their purportedly unpleasant experiences working with the late-night host, claiming there are “good Jimmy days” and “bad Jimmy days.” 

“Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No.’ Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners,” a former employee told the magazine. “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.”

In a Zoom call with his team after the shocking article, Fallon, 49, expressed regret and clarified that he had not intended to “create that type of atmosphere for the show,” Rolling Stone reported. “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 rued. “I want the show to be fun, [it] should be inclusive to everybody. It should be the best show.”

The SNL alum was also defended by a number of the show's producers, who called him a "collaborative" and "supportive" leader. “I cannot say enough good things about him, about how he is an empathetic person, how he hears other people’s opinions [and] how he’s open to being flexible,” a source reportedly shared.