Jimmy Fallon is finding himself at the center of yet another scandal, but perhaps his biggest one yet, following allegations that he’s cultivated a toxic workplace environment on The Tonight Show. The popular talk show host has been taken to task by 16 staffers (14 former employees and two still working under him) who accuse him of angry outbursts, erratic behavior and potentially being drunk during live recordings, leading to the detriment of their mental health.
In light of these shocking allegations, then, Tonight Show viewers are seeing new red flags in old clips that they never noticed before. Case in point, one TikToker shared an eyebrow-raising moment from a game of Frozen Blackjack Fallon played with guest Chris Evans, from an episode that originally aired in May 2016 (the full thing can be watched here).
In the clip, Fallon can clearly be seen to peer at someone behind the camera with a serious expression which could be interpreted as a sign of displeasure with some unknown employee. “Look at the dirtiest look [Fallon] just gave somebody backstage,” the Tiktoker noted. “Someone’s getting fired.” Those in the comments are shocked by the discovery. One wrote: “OMG I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS PART OF THE ACT.”
In the wake of this controversy, it’s been revealed that Fallon hosted a Zoom call with his staffers to apologize for his past behavior, although he has yet to make any kind of public statement or response to the allegations. He does have at least one old colleague in his corner, however, as Jerry Seinfeld has responded to claims he told Fallon off after witnessing him berating an employee as an “idiotic twisting of events.”
Nevertheless, once the talk show circuit is able to resume once the strikes are over and done with, it seems like there may be a reckoning coming for the long-term Tonight Show host.