Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has come to the defense of late-night host Jimmy Fallon amidst allegations of his "erratic behavior" and a "toxic workplace."
Former staffers of Fallon's show recently spoke out in a Rolling Stone feature, claiming they witnessed Fallon scolding an employee in front of Seinfeld over how he was holding cue cards. However, Seinfeld has dismissed these claims, stating that the incident was blown out of proportion.
"This is so stupid," Seinfeld responded to the story. "I remember this moment quite well... I teased Jimmy about a flub, and we all had a fun laugh about how rarely Jimmy is thrown off."
Seinfeld emphasized that the moment was not uncomfortable at all, contrary to what was reported. He and Fallon still occasionally recall the incident and laugh about it. Seinfeld called the twisting of events "idiotic."
The Rolling Stone article detailed an incident where Fallon scolded a crew member in front of Seinfeld during a taping of the show. Seinfeld allegedly told Fallon to apologize to the cue card handler, which he did. However, the report described the incident as an "uncomfortable moment."
"It was very awkward, and Jerry [Seinfeld] was like, 'You should apologize to him,' almost trying to make it a joke," a former employee told the magazine. "It was one of the strangest moments ever, and so many people were there, so it's kind of hard to forget."
Following the report, Fallon apologized to his staff during a Zoom call, expressing his embarrassment and remorse for any embarrassment caused to them and their families and friends. He stated that he did not intend to create a toxic atmosphere for the show.
The Rolling Stone article also featured multiple staffers who claimed that working on Fallon's show was one of the worst periods of their careers. One former employee expressed disappointment, saying, "It's a bummer because it was my dream job... It's sad that it's like that, especially knowing that it doesn't have to be that way."
In response to the allegations, NBC released a statement affirming their commitment to providing a respectful working environment. They stated that any issues raised by employees have been investigated, and appropriate action has been taken. NBC encouraged employees to report any behavior inconsistent with their policies.
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