Jimmy Fallon continues to face backlash from several corners following his recent interview with Conor McGregor.
The late-night show host has yet to address his decision to platform the disgraced UFC fighter, but PR experts now suggest that may be expected as his team waits for the outrage to die down.
McGregor was found civilly liable after Nikita Hand accused him of isolating her in a Dublin hotel room in 2018 and sexually assaulting her. He has denied the allegation and maintained that the encounter was consensual.
Jimmy Fallon recently hosted Conor McGregor on his “The Tonight Show” as the embattled UFC fighter prepared for his return to the famous Octagon.
During the appearance, McGregor gifted the late-night host an “Unapologetic” cigar before they discussed several topics, including his UFC comeback.
After the video aired, several internet users slammed Fallon for platforming McGregor, citing the controversies that have followed him in recent years, as well as Nikita Hand’s rape allegation.
McGregor was found civilly liable in the case, with Hand suffering bruises on different parts of her body, a bloodied scratch to her breast, and a possible tear to her private parts. He has continued to deny the allegation, claiming the encounter was consensual, but later lost his appeal against the ruling.
PR Expert Claims Fallon Is Letting Backlash Fade
Now, more than a week after the controversial interview, “The Tonight Show” host has not addressed the issue, seemingly choosing to let the uproar die a natural death.
Industry crisis management experts have suggested that Fallon’s tight-lipped approach may be deliberate.
In a conversation with Metro, PR expert Laura Perkes explained that staying silent in a situation like this can look counterproductive, but in corporate public relations, it is often viewed as a calculated way to starve the news cycle.
“They’re doing reputation management 101,” Perkes declared. “The interview happened, it aired, people are not happy, so rather than perpetuating it themselves, I think they’re then making sure that their social media is holding a more positive light.”
She continued, “They’re showing clips from past guests, and again, there are so many episodes from the next day or the day after; people have moved on because there’s been another thing.”
Perkes also pointed out that Fallon may not have much control over who sits on the couch and still has to be a warm host who can “provide a brilliant interview.”
She added, “They probably had to agree: ‘These are the seven questions.’ It’s a lifestyle show, it’s an entertainment show, so I think they wanted to keep it light and entertaining, despite the facts of McGregor’s background.”
Jimmy Fallon Set To ‘Turn The Other Cheek’
Despite the outrage, Perkes went further to suggest that Fallon may not suffer any lasting harm, as people are quick to move on because of the fast-paced nature of social media.
She suggested that the days of issuing a statement to address issues like these may be long gone, because it is now easier to “turn the other cheek and not worry about it.”
“For celebrities and their teams to be like: ‘These newspapers are tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapper, we’ll monitor the consequences and go from there,’” she explained.
Perkes added that the backlash is unlikely to have any “career repercussions” for Fallon and could even bring new viewers to his show.
She explained, “But then there are other people who didn’t know about Jimmy Fallon, or they didn’t know ‘The Tonight Show,’ and they’ll look at clips on TikTok, and realize: ‘Oh, actually, he’s actually a really fun guy’ and look for his interviews.”
Fans Accuse Fallon Of Repeating Trump Move
When the interview first aired, netizens branded Fallon as “spineless” and “pathetic” for allowing McGregor on the show, while others quickly argued that he has a pattern of cozying up to controversial figures.
One social media user posted a picture of Fallon ruffling Donald Trump’s hair during a 2016 episode, when he asked to “mess up” the then-presidential candidate’s hair.
In a 2023 ruling, a New York court found that Trump abused and defamed E. Jean Carroll over an incident that happened more than three decades ago.
People piled on Fallon at the time, accusing him of “humanizing and normalizing” Trump, sparking a massive uproar among fans. The veteran host later addressed the issue and admitted that he had been soft on Trump.
“I didn’t do it to humanize him,” he said in an interview with The New York Times months later. “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.’”
Will McGregor Backlash Scare Celebrities Off Jimmy Fallon’s Show?
Meanwhile, Perkes also suggested that the situation with McGregor will not stop other celebrities from sitting on Fallon’s famous sofa for interviews of their own.
“Let’s face it, celebrities exist to draw attention to themselves, the film they’re in, the album they’re about to release, or the tour they’re about to go on,” she said.
The expert added, “Their press team will have to weigh up the pros and cons that being on this show will deliver, and they will probably say there are more positives.”
