Jimmy Fallon Does Not Have A Drinking Problem – NBC Exec

Jimmy Fallon does not have a drinking problem, says an NBC executive. In spite of semi-regular reports that the talk show host has stumbled and injured himself in one way or another over the last year, NBC entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt was quick to reassure reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour on Wednesday that Jimmy Fallon was just a man who liked to have some fun.

Huffington Post reported that Greenblatt did not seem particularly concerned about about the possibility that Jimmy Fallon might have a drinking problem.

“[Jimmy] doesn’t have a drinking problem that any of us know about,” Greenblatt said. “He goes out and has fun and he’s had some accidents.”

Accidents include the nasty ring avulsion that nearly cost the comic his finger and in October 2015, a fall that led to his hand being bandaged as a result of a few cuts. Jimmy Fallon also chipped his front tooth as he was trying to get a bottle of scar tissue gel open for that same injury. The October 2015 fall came as Jimmy Fallon was celebrating at a Harvard Lampoon event. Much was made of the accident, especially in light of the ring avulsion that occurred earlier that year and particularly of the fact that Jimmy Fallon had a bottle of Jagermeister in his hand when the tumble occurred, according to San Jose Mercury News .

Daily Mail reported that Greenblatt did his best to assuage the reporters at the Television Critics Association press jaunt, saying he was confident in Jimmy Fallon’s longevity. He and the other executives at NBC should be; it was not that long ago that Jimmy Fallon signed to do another six years of The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.

“Jimmy is going to be fine for many years to come,” Greenblatt said. “I often say Jimmy is going to be there longer than me and longer than many of you in your jobs.”

Greenblatt also said he felt much had been exaggerated about Jimmy Fallon’s alleged drinking issues and pointed out that the comedian just liked to blow off some steam. He did say that NBC was always worried about the health of one of their top stars and that there had been some conversation about it, but he was quick to add that he felt the stories were simply blown out of proportion.

To be sure, there was no denying that Jimmy Fallon’s ring avulsion was the most serious of the injuries the comedian sustained last year. The injury required a six-hour surgery to start the healing process and for Jimmy Fallon to be casted for weeks.

NBC released a statement in November 2015 regarding Jimmy Fallon’s apparent health struggles which said that “Jimmy Fallon is a highly valued member of the NBC family. His dedication in putting on a great show each and every night is unparalleled. We are proud of his accomplishments on and off camera and look forward to working with him for many years to come.”

It would seem that NBC still has Jimmy Fallon’s back in spite of the talk that their Tonight Show star might have a drinking problem. Effectively, executives at the Peacock network are determined that Jimmy Fallon simply needs to burn off steam as a result of his tireless schedule, which doubtless includes time for his wife of nine years, Nancy Juvonen, and the other two women in his life, daughters Winnie Rose and Frances Cole.

In spite of assurances by Greenblatt that Jimmy Fallon is all right and does not have a drinking problem, he did acknowledge that he has not yet told the network’s star to be more careful during his off hours. He admitted that he had not told Jimmy Fallon to exercise more caution when not on The Tonight Show, which would undoubtedly be a challenging conversation to have.