Jimmy Fallon's Comeback

Jimmy Fallon is currently standing as the veritable toast of the late-night world, as he marks 10 years in his coveted role as the host of NBC's The Tonight Show.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: 10th Anniversary Special is set to air on Tuesday night, serving as a victory lap for the Saturday Night Live alum's triumphant run on a show that has long been embraced as an American institution.

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Yet just a short eight months ago, it appeared that it was all over for Fallon, as he faced allegations about his behavior from several show staffers of the past and present. They alleged to Rolling Stone that The Tonight Show had been a "toxic workplace" for a number of years, with a high-pressure environment and the "erratic" manner of the host.

With the show having gone through nine showrunners over a span of nine years, the staffers shared allegations of working in a "pretty glum atmosphere," where they claim they faced intimidation from their bosses and Fallon himself.

Of those who spoke with Rolling Stone for the September 7, 2023, article, seven people said that their mental health had been negatively impacted by the purported working atmosphere behind the scenes. They also said that it had become commonplace for staffers to refer to the guest dressing rooms as "crying rooms," as the spaces had become spots of refuge for those unsettled by their alleged treatment.

According to the article, some of the former staffers said that they had quit the show for the sake of their mental health, while others disclosed that they had been fired.

Jimmy Fallon's Apology

Several hours after the article was published, Rolling Stone further reported that Fallon and The Tonight Show showrunner Chris Miller spoke with employees via a Zoom call. Citing two workers who were present at the meeting, the publication reported that Fallon apologized to the team, while also stating that he did not intend to "create that type of atmosphere for the show."

"It's embarrassing and I feel so bad," the employees quoted Fallon as saying. "Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends. I feel so bad, I can't even tell you."

The unnamed employees further said the TV personality told them: "I want the show to be fun, [it] should be inclusive to everybody. It should be the best show."

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Another source who was on the call spoke with Deadline, telling the outlet that Fallon described the Tonight Show staff as "the best of the best." The host reportedly added: "There are things I've done in the past that are embarrassing but I never mistreated anybody."

While employees told Rolling Stone that Fallon's apology felt "pretty earnest," it appeared that his image as the affable comedian-next-door had been tainted. In an era where a big exposé all but spells the downfall of the rich, powerful and famous, it seemed inevitable that Hollywood's glittering constellation had lost another star.

Yet that wasn't the case—although it took weeks for this to become apparent. The scandal broke as the nation's TV shows lingered in purgatory status due to the simultaneous writers' and actors' strikes that ground the industry to an abrupt and months-long halt. As such, Fallon's brief post-scandal social media silence wasn't particularly glaring.

Once his show eventually returned to screens at the start of October, it did so triumphantly. The Tonight Show has enjoyed a streak of holding strong against its late-night rivals with ratings.

The caliber of stars passing by to promote their projects with a side dish of laughs has not faltered. There's also the hundreds of millions in cumulative views that video clips from his show generate online, leaving him strides ahead of his competitors. All, it seems, has been forgiven.

Rapid Recovery

New York employment attorney Nicole Brenecki still has questions, though, telling Newsweek that Fallon's swift return to public favor "is rather surprising given the magnitude of the complaints as to the toxicity of his work environment.

"His recovery—and the continued growth of the show's popularity—can likely be attributed to many viewers not being aware of the Rolling Stone article and to Fallon's relatively swift response to the allegations. Whether his response was sufficient given what was alleged is another issue."

Evan Nierman, CEO of global PR firm Red Banyan, believes that Fallon's move to address the issue head on with his staff rather than the public after the allegations were leveled against him likely went a long way toward a positive outcome.

"The manner and swiftness of Jimmy Fallon's response was critical in helping him navigate the situation," Nierman told Newsweek. "Fallon addressed the situation directly and privately with his staff, taking responsibility and apologizing to them, rather than just issuing a public statement that could have seen like an action he was forced to take.

"Often, it's smart and strategic communications behind the scenes having nothing to do with media relations or press statements that makes all the difference."

"Fallon chose a wise course by not centering the narrative on his own redemption and instead focusing on genuine accountability," Nierman added. "This combination of his personal accountability and public support from NBC were key in managing the situation with minimal fallout."

Network Support

Indeed, in the immediate aftermath of the allegations coming to light, a spokesperson for NBC defended the Fallon-fronted production, saying in a statement: "We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority.

"As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate. As is always the case, we encourage employees who feel they have experienced or observed behavior inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly."

Funnyman Fallon entered the talk show arena in 2009 with Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Five years later, he would take over from Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show in 2014. He has since enjoyed desk-side chats with everybody from former President Barack Obama to Adele, Beyoncé, and Bruce Springsteen.

While the initial article on the Fallon allegations described the TV personality as snapping at and belittling staffers, another employee described a completely different working environment in an interview with People last September.

The unnamed staffer described Fallon as "a really, really positive guy," who is "super communicative" with those who work for him. The employee, who said they had worked on the show for approximately one year, told People it was "disheartening" to see "these old accusations being brought up again."

Making Changes

However, this shouldn't serve as a dismissal of the employee complaints that brought the scandal on in the first place. Employment attorney Brenecki told Newsweek that "employees working for celebrities and other public figures should not feel discouraged to report certain facts and elevate their complaints while dealing with [an allegedly] toxic workplace of this nature. No one is above the law.

"Rather, one could reasonably believe that celebrities who have more resources at their disposal than a 'regular' employer should hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to creating, and maintaining, a healthy workplace environment."

Nierman, author of The Cancel Culture Curse: From Rage to Redemption in a World Gone Mad, told Newsweek that affecting positive change after such grievances are raised should inspire other employees with claims of negative experiences elsewhere to step forward.

"Positive changes in high-profile environments like The Tonight Show may signal a broader shift towards more supportive and accommodating workplace cultures," he said. "If the actions of Fallon and NBC are shown to yield tangible improvements in the working conditions on the show, then this could serve as a motivator for other individuals to openly address workplace grievances.

"But do a quick Google search or scroll through Glassdoor and you can see how widespread employee complaints are about their workplaces; so don't expect Jimmy Fallon keeping his job to prevent any disgruntled workers from carping online or complaining to reporters."

By his own words, Fallon just wants to entertain. While speaking with Today's Willie Geist about his decade as The Tonight Show's frontman, the comedian said: "When you get hired, you're hired as the entertainer, not the boss. I don't know what I'm doing. So it's interesting to learn that part and go like, 'Oh yeah, I've gotten better at that stuff.' But I surround myself with really good people to worry about that stuff and take care of all that."

Newsweek has contacted representatives of Fallon and NBC via email for comment.