Avid TV watchers aren’t the only ones feeling the affects of the ongoing Hollywood Writer’s strike.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno faced massive layoffs this weekend as non-writing staff members were put out of work as of Friday.

NBC announced that the network “regretfully informed the people who work on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Brien that their services are not needed at this time due to our inability to continue production of the shows.”

People Magazine confirmed that the Tonight Show staff were kept on the payroll until Friday and were given their usual Christmas bonus early this year.

Sources close to the late-night comedian have said that starting Monday Leno will begin paying employees out of his own pocket.

The Tonight Show has been in reruns because Leno is honouring the writers’ picket lines. Several Tonight Show employees reportedly told the Hollywood Reporter that Jay made promises early on in the strike to his staff. Leno held a conference call and said, “I can’t get into details, but nobody will miss a car payment or lose their house. We’re family. Trust me. I’m going to take care of this.”






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