Is the Jimmy Fallon Show Canceled? Jimmy Fallon Controversy Explained

Laughter is a universal language, and Jimmy Fallon has mastered it. His ever-cheerful, jovial laugh has become a signature in late-night TV. Do you know how you sometimes laugh because of the other person’s laugh and not their actual joke?

This sums up Fallon’s schtick.

But Fallon did have quite a humble beginning. Lorne Michaels, the showrunner for Saturday Night Live, saw Fallon as a significant addition to the talented lineup on season 25 in September 1998.

Fallon was predominantly perceived as an eye candy on the show, garnering an immense female fan base. Although there is no denying that his celebrity impressions were simply impeccable.

Fallon soon became a household name, appearing in a few movies. His chocolate boy image and pleasant, approachable nature earned him quite a strong network with industry connections. And thus began the Game of Thrones of The Tonight Show.

Brief Beef Of The Tonight Show: The popular show was hosted by Jay Leno starting in 1992. Although not all agreed with his hosting skills, he enjoyed a long stint on the show. Meanwhile, another comedian and a potential successor quickly emerged in the anchoring scene. Conan O’Brien was witty, young, charming, extremely funny, and had superb comedic timing.

Leno with NBC committed to O’Brien to be the next Tonight Show Host, which he took over from Leno in 2009. And just after a year of Leno’s insecurities and internal politics, NBC asked Conan to resign with a payout, and Leno resumed as a host. This irked a legion of loyal viewers who adored O’Brien for his quirky, unique persona and witty interviews.

Conan’s fans still expected NBC to make him the next host after Leno ended his second tenure. Instead, adding salt to the wounds, the network announced that Jimmy Fallon would be the successor of The Tonight Show in 2014.

Fallon debuted with his initial guests, including Will Smith and the rock band U2. It took several months for viewers to get accustomed to the untimely laughs, gags, and games. But Fallon did manage to grab attention a few years down the line. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, garnered stable ratings and also managed to get global traction. We must give him props for this– he became friends with BTS.

But recently, the facade seemed to have faded away.

Rolling Stone reported an exposé on the toxic work environment in the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, after taking accounts of more than 80 employees. The report also shows that Jimmy showed unprofessional tendencies, like coming to work drunk. He would display erratic behavior where the former disgruntled employees described the days as either “good Jimmy days” or “bad Jimmy days.” As of now, The show is going on and isn’t canceled.

Jimmy Fallon Controversy Explained

This gives Ellen DeGeneres all over again!

At first glance, most would perceive Fallon as an exuberant host. He would literally laugh at anything, sometimes to the point that no one would comprehend what he was laughing at. He kind of became a meme because of that. But people did not suspect any foul play. And just like Ellen DeGeneres, viewers believed Fallon was goofy but kind and congenial.

But the recent revelations by former and current employees bring a completely different light to the shadow he hid behind his persona.

The major allegations suggest that Jimmy Fallon was quite moody, considering employees would have to walk on eggshells around him. Good Jimmy days were fine, but the bad Jimmy days would devour them.

Here’s a gist list of all employees’ complaints–

1. The Tonight Show harbored a very hostile and tense work environment. Some employees alleged to have to deal with belittling, intimidation, and fear of Fallon’s outbursts and inconsistent behavior. Even after reporting to HR, no substantial reforms were initiated.
2. Seven ex-employees reported that the unpredictable work environment severely affected their mental health. An employee concerningly joked that the work felt like “wanting to kill themselves.”
3. Employees collectively felt extreme pressure after the Late Night With Jimmy Fallon transitioned to The Tonight Show. Basically, they feared having no job security.
4. Fallon failed to be a reliable leader. Instead, his erratic behavior caused despair among the staff members.
5. Some allegations suggest they experienced anxiety, hair thinning, weakened nail beds, and suicidal ideation. An employee’s heart-wrenching testimony stated that they lost 20 pounds, cried to sleep every night, and constantly felt on edge.
6. Some staff members were treated quite poorly. One incident of Fallon yelling at staff in front of Jerry Seinfeld stirred an uncomfortable situation.
7. Fallon was also embroiled in a “blackface” controversy.
8. Jimmy was reportedly drunk during one of the live shows, where he was seen aggressively striking off jokes from the cue cards. An employee witnessed this account, stating – “It was like, ‘Oh, my God, he [seems] drunk. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. This could be problematic.”
9. Apart from Jimmy’s misconduct, the showrunners, bosses, and executives maintained a hellish work atmosphere by perpetuating fear of unjust firing, intimidation tactics, threats, manipulation, and more.
10. Neither the showrunners nor creators have defended Fallon so far. His representatives have not commented on the allegations yet.

Is the Jimmy Fallon Show Canceled?

So far, there have been no reports of the show being canceled. NBC is going to continue the show. However, they have pulled out a few clips and stopped airing the new episodes. But those episodes were not aired since May because of the writers guild strike.

Meanwhile, a few celebrities have previously called out Fallon’s not-so-cordial behavior. Here are a few anecdotes from Fallon’s past.

What are your thoughts on this case? Should Fallon be canceled? Do you believe these allegations? Let us know in the comments section below.