Jimmy Fallon Apologizes to His Staff Amid ‘Toxic Workplace’ Claims

Jimmy Fallon has reportedly apologized to his staff after past and current members of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon claimed he had fostered a "toxic" work environment. On Thursday morning (September 7), Rolling Stone published a report that alleged that “The Tonight Show has been a toxic workplace for years” due to Fallon’s “erratic behavior.” The outlet reportedly spoke with 14 former employees and two current ones (the publication reportedly contacted about 80 employees). Hours after their article was published, Rolling Stone reported that the talk show host and showrunner Chris Miller addressed the recent claims over a Zoom call with employees.

Apparently, the two employees who joined the Zoom meeting claimed that Fallon, 48, said he didn't intend to "create that type of atmosphere for the show." They added that he said during the call, "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." The current employees noted that Fallon's apology “felt pretty earnest” and claimed the comedian acknowledged the constant change in leadership regarding its showrunners, emphasizing how Miller was “a great leader” and that there were no plans of that changing. Fallon allegedly added, "I want the show to be fun, [it] should be inclusive to everybody. It should be the best show."

Following Rolling Stone’s initial expose, NBC told People 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.”

In the Rolling Stone story, employees said they witnessed Fallon “snap at crew members, express irritation over the smallest of things, and berate and belittle staffers out of frustration." However, one staffer described him to People as "super communicative" and "a really, really positive guy."  The employee noted that Fallon "makes a point of commending you when you do a great job and when he's happy." He added that the host has been "very constructive and helpful for me in continuing to put together a show that he's happy with. I've never been belittled, yelled at, nothing like that. It's all exactly how a boss should give feedback to an employee." The outlet noted that “while many of them praised Fallon’s talent and comedic gifts, no one agreed to speak on the record out of fear of retaliation or had positive things to say about working on The Tonight Show.” Nor would any of the program’s nine showrunners since 2014 gave any statements of support.

Time magazine published its annual TIME100 Next list Wednesday (September 28), recognizing 100 rising stars from across industries and around the world. The publication goes about choosing its list by deciding which 100 rising stars -- from medical professionals, government officials, movement leaders, high-profile whistle-blowers, top CEOs, musicians and actors by their impact to the world.

As Time states, "There is no one way to have an impact, so there is no one way by which Time measures the influence essential to its selections."

One of this year's featured artists is television host, singer and actress Keke Palmer, who most recently starred in Jordan Peele's Nope and hosts the rebooted game show classic Password. She has been in the entertainment industry for 20 years now, getting her major acting breakthrough with Akeelah and the Bee (2006).

In her Time 100 video profile, Keke said that Black American filmmakers like Jordan Peele and Tyler Perry breaking the box office down with their success is something we "want more of it. The more that we have of it, the more different perspectives we can get. Everybody's perspective isn't the same."

Keke also shared advice for those wanting to break it big in the industry: "Do what you can with what you got. Tell your story, get your idea out there" via reels, Instagram and TikTok.

Palmer, 29, said on Instagram of Queen Latifah being the person tasked with writing about her, "I am soooo thankful for all the beautiful things you said about me @queenlatifah. What an incredible surprise from someone who has mentored me my entire career. My love for you is endless, till this day when someone messes with me.. I let them know I’m gonna tellllllll my auntie."

As we previously reported, Lil Nas X, Britney Spears and Billie Eilish made the list last year. As always, a person of importance writes up the commentary on who Time chooses for their list -- Kid Cudi wrote Lil Nas X's, Paris Hilton wrote Britney's and Megan Thee Stallion wrote Billie's.

We took their list and compiled our favorite 14 A-list actors and musicians below.