In the fall of 2015, Page Six and some other outlets ran a series of stories about how Jimmy Fallon had or has a major drinking problem. If I’m giving Fallon the benefit of the doubt, I’d say that there is a difference between a “happy social drinker” and a fall-down messy alcoholic, and Fallon seemingly hugs that line. Reportedly last fall, NBC executives were really worried about Fallon’s drunk shenanigans and even more than that, they were worried that Fallon’s drinking would hurt one of their most lucrative properties, The Tonight Show. So… what’s happening these days? Page Six says NBC did do some kind of intervention, although NBC tells Page Six that their sources are telling lies.

Jimmy Fallon was warned to cut back on his boozing by NBC chiefs following a series of bizarre late-night accidents, according to multiple insiders. An NBC insider said of the funnyman, “There were fears that Fallon was out of control and something could happen while he’s out drinking. Things got so serious at one stage that execs feared that Jimmy was splitting up with his wife over his drinking, but they patched things up.”

The beloved “Tonight Show” host’s recent allegedly alcohol-aided antics include tripping on a rug at home and nearly severing his ring finger on a table in June 2015. Then he chipped his tooth “trying to open medicine for his injured finger” a few months later. In October 2015 he cut his hand on a bottle of Jägermeister. In September of this year a “very drunk” Fallon was seen alone at an NYC punk bar at 3 a.m, which sparked more NBC concerns.

Another Fallon source said, “He is a heavy drinker. He sees himself as somebody who needs image rehabilitation.” But, we’re told by another friend, “He knows he needs to be responsible. He has two kids. He has cut back on his drinking.”

The first source said that, while Fallon’s show is No. 1, a few key staff members have left to work for CBS rival James Corden. “Fallon is insanely jealous of Corden,” the source continued. “There’s been some upheaval, and Jimmy hasn’t handled it well. He’s at the top of his game, but he’s insecure.” Fallon has parted ways with his longtime publicist and just hired Brad Pitt’s crisis p.r. manager.

But Fallon has the full backing of NBC, and his contract was extended to late 2021. Bob Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, told us, “Jimmy is one of NBC’s biggest assets, and we’re extremely proud that ‘The Tonight Show’ continues to be the late-night leader in all metrics, including ratings and social-media awareness. He’s in a class by himself, and we’re also looking forward to him hosting the Golden Globes in January. As a producer and star he delivers over 200 hours of television a year, and any suggestion that we have concerns about his behavior or have given him any kind of ‘warning’ is completely false.”

[From Page Six]

I sort of understand NBC’s dilemma, surprisingly. They can’t order Fallon to stop drinking during his off-hours, and as long as he behaves professionally while at Rockefeller Center, there’s not much they can do. The Tonight Show is still the top-rated late show, and tons of A-listers still want to come and do softball interviews and play stupid games. So as long as the money keeps rolling in, no one wants to rock the boat. But… yeah, I do think he’s a heavy drinker. Whether he’s just a social drinker or a messy alcoholic, I don’t know.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.