Jimmy Fallon Apologizes to Staffers Following Report of Toxic Workplace Behavior: ‘It’s Embarrassing And I Feel So Bad’

variety.com:

Jimmy Fallon apologized to “Tonight Show” staffers Thursday afternoon following a Rolling Stone report about his behavior at NBC’s venerable late-night program over the years. “It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad.

Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends,” Fallon said during a Zoom meeting with “Tonight” employees, Variety has learned. “I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.” He told the assemblage during the meeting, which was said to be brief: “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.” Several former staff members of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” spoke to Rolling Stone about what they described as a toxic work environment behind the scenes of the NBC late night program.

Some of these staffers said their mental health worsened during their time on the show, where they alleged Fallon could lash out under pressure.

Nine different showrunners have managed “Tonight” since Fallon succeeded Jay Leno in 2014, and the impermanence of that position — there is significantly less turnover at Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” — is said to have exacerbated the situation.