Jerry Seinfeld slammed one of the “stupid” toxic workplace allegations lobbed against Jimmy Fallon as an “idiotic twisting of events.”
The “Seinfeld” star, 69, spoke out in support of the “Tonight Show” host after two former staffers claimed to Rolling Stone Seinfeld witnessed Fallon belittle an employee.
“This is so stupid. 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,” he told the magazine in a statement Thursday.
“It was not uncomfortable at all. Jimmy and I still occasionally recall it and laugh. Idiotic twisting of events.”
In the article, anonymous staffers detailed an “uncomfortable” moment when Fallon, 48, allegedly publicly “scolded” a crew member for messing up his cue cards during a segment with the comedian.
According to the ex-employees, Seinfeld forced Fallon to apologize after witnessing the alleged exchange.
“It was very awkward, and Jerry [Seinfeld] was like, ‘You should apologize to him,’ almost trying to make it a joke,” they told the outlet.
“It was one of the strangest moments ever and so many people were there, so it’s kind of hard to forget.”
Just hours after the bombshell report was released, Fallon was spotted landing at JFK airport in New York.
While the former “Saturday Night Live” star seemed to be in good spirits, he tried to stay under the radar in a baseball hat and sunglasses.
Like Seinfeld, NBC was quick to defend the late-night program — without naming the host.
“We are incredibly proud of ‘The Tonight Show,’ and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,” a network spokesperson said in a statement. “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.”
Despite two current and 14 former employees detailing Fallon’s “erratic behavior” and the show’s “pretty glum atmosphere,” sources told Pvnew Thursday that things have drastically improved since new showrunner Chris Miller joined last May.
“He’s brought a renewed enthusiasm and positive energy to the show,” a show source exclusively told us. “Chris prides himself on being available to the staff and a transparent leader.
“He’s exactly what the show needed.”
Another producer dittoed that sentiment, saying “the atmosphere is very different” now and that Fallon has been extremely “engaged” with the staff.
“There’s a new wave that came in a year and a half ago and has just made everything change,” they claimed, noting that they also hired a new head booker and new head writer.
Along with claims of creating a “toxic” work environment, former staffers also accused Fallon of appearing drunk on the job and having unexpected “outbursts” with no repercussions.
Although Fallon has yet to speak out about the allegations, he reportedly apologized to his staff during a Zoom call on Thursday morning, admitting that he was “embarrassed” and felt “so bad” about the situation.
