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<\/p>\nJerry Seinfeld has defended Jimmy Fallon and labeled claims The Tonight Show host scolded a crew member in front of him as an ‘idiotic twisting of events.’<\/p>\n
Fallon, 48, was accused of creating a ‘toxic work environment’ on The Tonight Show in a new Rolling Stone report, and the article included an alleged incident which involved Seinfeld, 69.<\/p>\n
Two employees claim Seinfeld instructed Fallon to apologize to a crew member the talk show host had ‘scolded’.\u00a0 The employee was responsible for Fallon’s cue cards, and the alleged criticism occurred during a taping of Seinfeld’s segment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fallon allegedly apologized for reprimanding the staffer after Seinfeld spoke up, and the incident was described as ‘uncomfortable’ by employees who recounted it with Rolling Stone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
But, in a comment submitted to the outlet after they published their article on Thursday, the Seinfeld star called the description an ‘idiotic twisting of events.’<\/p>\n
‘This is so stupid. I remember this moment quite well\u2026 I teased Jimmy about a flub, and we all had a fun laugh about how rarely Jimmy is thrown off. It was not uncomfortable at all. Jimmy and I still occasionally recall it and laugh. Idiotic twisting of events,’ Seinfeld said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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‘Idiotic twisting of events’: Jerry Seinfeld has come to the defense of Jimmy Fallon after the comedian was accused of creating a ‘toxic work environment’ on The Tonight Show in a new Rolling Stone report; pictured on the show in 2018<\/p>\n
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Two employees claim Seinfeld instructed Fallon to apologize to a crew member the talk show host had ‘scolded’ in front of others. The employee had reportedly messed up an easy task while shooting a segment with Seinfeld; Fallon pictured April 2023<\/p>\n
Rolling Stone alleged they sent multiple requests for comment to Seinfeld’s representatives but never received any response. Seinfeld’s statement was sent in following the story’s publication.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The employee told the outlet of the alleged scolding moment: ‘It was very awkward, and Jerry [Seinfeld] was like, “You should apologize to him,” almost trying to make it a joke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘It was one of the strangest moments ever and so many people were there, so it\u2019s kind of hard to forget.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
An insider has also told the New York Post\u00a0that Rolling Stone had gotten the Seinfeld story wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An insider told The New York Post that the energy of the workplace had changed dramatically since new showrunner Chris Miller was brought on in May 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘He\u2019s brought a renewed enthusiasm and positive energy to the show. Chris prides himself on being available to the staff and a transparent leader. He\u2019s exactly what the show needed.’<\/p>\n
In addition, another producer on the program described Fallon as incredibly ‘engaged’ with workers and added ‘the atmosphere is very different.<\/p>\n
‘There\u2019s a new wave that came in a year and a half ago and has just made everything change,’ the producer told The New York Post.<\/p>\n
In the Rolling Stone article, Fallon has been\u00a0accused of creating a ‘toxic work environment’ at The Tonight Show by sixteen current and past staffers who say the star’s ‘hissy-fits’ forced them to sob in ‘crying rooms’, made their hair fall out and triggered suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n
Concerns have been raised by 14 former employees as well as two current workers about Fallon’s ‘erratic’ workplace conduct and interactions with other bosses which left them feeling belittled or intimidated, according to the publication.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They claim Fallon’s inconsistent behavior, which has included ‘outbursts’ toward workers, is the starting point for a\u00a0‘pretty glum atmosphere’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the talk show host is known for his hilarious anecdotes on the screen with a range of games, challenges and trivia garnering millions of weekly views online, it’s claimed Fallon has unexpected mood swings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone\u2019s day is f**ked,’ one former employee says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘People wouldn\u2019t joke around in the office, and they wouldn\u2019t stand around and talk to each other. It was very much like, focus on whatever it is that you have to do because Jimmy\u2019s in a bad mood, and if he sees that, he might fly off.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Fallon seen in London on September 6 just days before the allegations surfaced\u00a0<\/p>\n
It’s alleged his inconsistent and snappy attitude trickles down throughout the program’s hierarchy which has seen nine showrunners over nine years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘I just don\u2019t think they\u2019ve landed on a leader who can keep it together,’ one former staffer told Rolling Stone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
None of the nine showrunners opted to speak in a negative – or positive – light about the show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The publication approached more than 50 current and former\u00a0Tonight Show employees for the story. While many praised Fallon for his ability to crack a joke, no one put their hand up to speak on the record or had any good things to say about the work environment. The 16 who did speak up, under the condition of anonymity worked in a range of different roles, from production crews to the writers’ room.<\/p>\n
But a source close to the Tonight Show told DailyMail.com: ‘The things being reported in this article happened years ago and just aren\u2019t reflective of the atmosphere today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘Nobody is denying that things happened in the past, but any previous issues have been dealt with and everyone has moved on since then.<\/p>\n
\u2018A lot of these are old anecdotes that have already been reported and it\u2019s unclear to everyone why they\u2019re being brought up again years later.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘So many current staff members have positive things to say about the show but they aren\u2019t being given a chance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘This isn\u2019t who Jimmy is and this isn\u2019t in any way what the show is like today.\u2019<\/p>\n
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‘It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone\u2019s day is f**ked,’ one former employee says<\/p>\n
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A Rolling Stone investigation by Krystie Lee Yandoli revealed the claims against Fallon and The Tonight Show<\/p>\n
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The talk show host is known for his hilarious anecdotes on screen but behind the scenes, concerns have been raised over Fallon’s ‘erratic’ behavior at work\u00a0<\/p>\n
Among the allegations, one former employee said the environment shifted during the transition from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to The Tonight Show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘The producers felt this pressure, and that translated down to all of their employees. People that worked under them then felt this pressure that if you made one mistake, you were gone and would be easily replaced,’ one former employee said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘You have all these NBC pages in the building who are ready, willing, and waiting to take your job.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many of the staffers said they left the show due to mental health concerns, with seven saying their overall wellbeing was impacted by their alleged experiences.<\/p>\n
Others said they were fired from the show, with guest rooms reportedly referred to as ‘crying rooms’ to let out their emotions when it all became too much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘Nobody told Jimmy, “No.” Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners,’ another former employee claimed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘You never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit. Look how many showrunners went so quickly. We know they didn\u2019t last long.’<\/p>\n
Many of the staffers who spoke out have described living in fear while employed with the talk show, with some saying they had nightmares or anxiety related to their work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A person says they were put on anti-anxiety medication for the first time after having an anxiety attack while working at the show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another says their hair thinned and nail beds weakened as a physical reaction to the stress, while someone else lost nearly 20 pounds and cried themselves to sleep every night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘I know other people who were in [my] department who also were unhappy with [mis]treatment but it was never a thing where any of us were empowered enough to say anything,’ the employee said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘It just always felt like, “You should be grateful that you have a job, and you should be grateful that you have this position at this show, at this network. Everyone wants to be in this spot. You have worked hard to get here \u2014 it shouldn\u2019t be a thing where you\u2019re being ungrateful”.’<\/p>\n
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Fallon appears totally fascinated with guests who feature on the show (pictured: actress Keke Palmer)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Four people claim they are in therapy as a result of their experiences, while three revealed they had suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n
‘Mentally, I was in the lowest place of my life. I didn\u2019t want to live anymore. I thought about taking my own life all the time,’ one former employee described.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘I knew deep down I would never actually do it, but in my head, I\u2019m like, “Why do I think about this all the time?”‘<\/p>\n
One former worker said the ordeal of working for the show is ‘a bummer’ because it was their ‘dream job’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘Writing for late night is a lot of people\u2019s dream jobs, and they\u2019re coming into this and it becomes a nightmare very quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘It\u2019s sad that it\u2019s like that, especially knowing that it doesn\u2019t have to be that way.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon is known for its popular segments and challenges\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Concerns over Fallon’s behavior have been raised previously. In 2015, the New York Post published a story quoting sources who alleged NBC was worried his drinking had become ‘excessive’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He refuted the claims, however, in an interview with the New York Times in 2017, saying: ‘I could never do a day-to-day job if I was drinking every night. That\u2019s just kicking you when you\u2019re down.’<\/p>\n
Yet, two employees allege they saw him under the influence at work that same year. Another two workers believed they smelled alcohol on his breath when he entered an elevator with them during the day\u00a0on separate occasions in 2019 and 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eight other employees claimed his energy and attitude could be attributed to whether he was hungover.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
While The Tonight Show, which is produced by Universal Television, Broadway Video and Electric Hot Dog – Fallon’s production company, is currently on hold due to the writers’ strike, it was renewed by NBC until 2026.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
In a statement to Rolling Stone, an NBC spokesperson said The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon is no different to anywhere else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,’ the spokesperson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘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.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
DailyMail.com has reached out to NBC and Fallon’s representatives for additional comment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n