Jimmy Fallon apologizes to staff amid toxic workplace allegations on 'The Tonight Show'—report

The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon has reportedly apologized to his staff after former and current employees accused him of promoting a toxic work environment with his "erratic behavior."

In a piece published by Rolling Stone on Sept. 7, two current and 14 former employees claimed that their workplace has been toxic for years, and that it has taken a toll on their mental health.

"They say the ugly environment behind the scenes starts at the top with Fallon’s erratic behavior, and has trickled down to its ever-changing leadership teams—nine showrunners in the past nine years—who seemingly don’t know how to say no to Jimmy," the expose stated, adding that its former employees referred to the program as a "pretty glum atmosphere" as some claimed that they "were belittled and intimidated by their bosses, including Fallon himself."

The staff also recalled getting scared of the host's sudden "outbursts" and bad behavior towards them. "Many of these staffers voiced their concerns through HR complaints, but problems at The Tonight Show persisted," it noted.

The outlet reported that shortly after the story was posted, Fallon, along with showrunner Chris Miller, held a virtual meeting with the staff to address the allegations. According to the report, the TV personality told the staff: "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," he added.

While Fallon and his representatives refused to comment on the matter, an NBC spokesperson defended the program without mentioning Fallon in their statement.

"We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,” said the spokesperson. "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."

The Tonight Show premiered back in 1954 on NBC. Fallon started hosting the show in 2014 as its sixth host.