Setting the record straight. Jimmy Fallon addressed rumors about his alleged drinking habits and backlash over his controversial sit-down with President Donald Trump in a new interview with The New York Times, which was published on Wednesday, May 17.
In October, a New York Post report claimed that NBC executives were worried that Fallon’s drinking was spiraling “out of control,” citing his two previous hand injuries and a chipped tooth. The 42-year-old comedian denied the accusations, telling the NYT, “I could never do a day-to-day job if I was drinking every night. That’s just kicking you when you’re down.”
The TV host also brushed off concerns that his late-night show’s ratings have plummeted and that viewers are switching over to Stephen Colbert’s left-leaning Late Show. “We’re winning in something. People in the height requirement between 5-7 and 5-11, we’re No. 1, from 11:50 to 11:55,” he joked. “I never, ever care. I’ll know when someone fires me.”
Fallon went on to discuss the criticism he faced after his September interview with the POTUS, which concluded with the SNL alum tousling Trump’s hair. “I didn’t do it to humanize him,” Fallon said. “I almost did it to minimize him. I didn’t think that would be a compliment: ‘He did the thing that we all wanted to do.’”
Additionally, Fallon admitted he struggles with negativity on social media. “I’m a people pleaser,” he continued. “If there’s one bad thing on Twitter about me, it will make me upset. So, after this happened, I was devastated. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just trying to have fun.”
Despite backlash, Fallon is committed to sticking to his own brand of comedy. “I don’t want to be bullied into not being me, and not doing what I think is funny,” he said. “Just because some people bash me on Twitter, it’s not going to change my humor or my show.”
