Talk-show host Jay Leno faces a backlash from laid-off members of his Tonight Show staff--after failing to pay them a regular salary amid the ongoing writers strikes.
Unlike colleagues David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, Leno--who makes an estimated $27 million a year--has refused to offer staff of his late-night show their normal paychecks after they were laid off on Friday, according to the New York Daily News.
NBC stopped paying all non-striking show members--just under 100 of them--who have not been able to work for almost a month since the action began.
As a result, Late Night host O'Brien was prompted to step up and pay staff out of his own pocket to avoid backlash. And Letterman did the same--agreeing to pay his staff regular salaries until the end of the year.
While a spokesman for Leno confirmed he had not offered to pay workers' salaries, he was keen to point out the comic has distributed "substantial" bonuses this week that amounted to just under $500,000 combined.
The layoffs at Tonight are the latest casualties in the ongoing battle between the Writers Guild of America and show producers. The strike immediately shut down the late-night comedy shows and has gradually shut down the production of network-produced primetime series.
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