• Blamed for creating a toxic environment
In 2023, the Rolling Stone magazine published an article about Jimmy Fallon titled ‘Chaos, Comedy, and ‘Crying Rooms’: Inside Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show’ which included the interviews with 16 former and then-active employees. The interviews stated that Jimmy Fallon mistreated his staff, acted erratically, was prone to outbursts, and contributed to a toxic workplace culture. One of the employees mentioned that Jimmy’s behaviour seemed to be related to whether he was allegedly hungover from the previous night. The NBC TV channel released a statement defending the TV program but they did not address the allegations against Jimmy Fallon. The day the Rolling Stone article was published, Jimmy Fallon apologized to his staff on a Zoom call and was quoted saying that
“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. I want this show to be fun. It should be inclusive for everybody.”
• Accused of sexual misconduct
In 2022, Jimmy Fallon, Lorne Michaels, and Tracy Morgan were named in a sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against Horatio Sanz claiming that Jimmy Fallon, Lorne Michaels, and Morgan enabled Horatio Sanz’s inappropriate behaviour.
• Criticized for discussing NFTs
In 2022, Jimmy Fallon was criticized for discussing NFTs and promoting one of his own on his show ‘The Tonight Show’ during an interview with Paris Hilton which had breached conflict-of-interest policies set by NBCUniversal’s parent company Comcast. Jimmys’s own NFT was deduced to have most likely been purchased in November 2021 for about $216,000 and his promotion of it on the show could have boosted its asking price. One of NBC TV channle’s spokesperson stated that
“Fallon did not violate the company’s conflict of interest policy.”
• Commented about having an alcohol problem
In 2017, a New York Post reporter claimed that NBC executives were worried that Jimmy Fallon’s drinking was getting “out of control” while highlighting his two previous hand injuries and a chipped tooth. Jimmy Fallon denied the accusations and was quoted saying that
“I could never do a day-to-day job if I was drinking every night. That’s just kicking you when you’re down.”
• Criticised for his questions to Donald Trump
In 2016, Jimmy Fallon hosted Donald Trump on ‘The Tonight Show’ during the United States presidential election. Jimmy was criticized by some media critics and viewers on social media for the uncontroversial questions he asked Donald Trump. After facing immense backlash for the interview, Jimmy Fallon publicly apologised and was quoted saying that
“I didn’t do it to humanize him. I almost did it to minimize him. After this happened, I was devastated. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just trying to have fun. I believe in his political beliefs or any of that stuff.”
Donald Trump made a statement about Jimmy Fallon on Twitter stating that
“Jimmy Fallon is now whimpering to all that he did the famous ‘hair show’ with me (where he seriously messed up my hair), & that he would have now done it differently because it is said to have ‘humanized’ me. He is taking heat. He called & said ‘monster ratings.’ Be a man Jimmy!“
• Backlashed for wearing blackface on Saturday Night Live
In 2000, Jimmy Fallon appeared in blackface in a 2000 episode of Saturday Night Live in which he was impersonating Chris Rock. The sketch resurfaced online 20 years later in 2020 and many people took to twitter and accused Jimmy Fallon of racism and demand an apology from the TV host. The clip was circulated on Twitter with the hashtag #JimmyFallonIsOverParty. Reacting to all this, Jimmy took to Twitter and made an apology saying
“In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.”
