Celebrity

Jimmy Fallon Pulls Out of Deal With Mariah Carey’s Ex Over Epstein Files Appearance

CUTTING TIES

The “Tonight Show” host won’t be releasing his branded pasta sauce anytime soon.

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 2237 -- Pictured: Host Jimmy Fallon during chit-chat on Thursday, January 8, 2026 -- (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)
Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Image

Jimmy Fallon has cut business ties with music mogul Tommy Mottola due to Mottola’s ties to disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Mottola, former CEO of Sony Music Entertainment and ex-husband of Mariah Carey, is named several times throughout the investigative files related to Epstein. Fallon and Mottola were prepared to launch a pasta sauce line, but those plans are now off.

“Nobody wants to be within 50 feet of anyone in the Epstein files,” a source told Page Six, which first reported the fallout.

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Mottola was the CEO of Sony Music for 15 years. Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Email correspondence shows that Mottola appeared to have visited Epstein’s Upper East Side mansion several times, years after Epstein was already convicted of sex crimes in Florida.

The files show that Mottola and Epstein corresponded from 2010 until 2019, the year Epstein was arrested in New York on federal sex trafficking of minors charges.

On Christmas Day 2017, email correspondence shows that the two men discussed a woman hiring a lawyer. Epstein wrote to Mottola, “Itou [sic] are safe,” and Mottola responded, “You’re sure?.. I don’t have to do anything just shut up and Lay low.”

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DOJ

A 2012 email shows Epstein’s longtime assistant, Lesley Groff, asking, “Did Tommy Mottola come over early today? just wondering.”

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Several times between 2010 and 2018 Groff wrote repeatedly to Epstein, “Please call Tommy Mottola.”

Emails that looked just like the above appeared several times throughout the files.
DOJ

The files also show that Mottola and Epstein were close enough to exchange gifts. Mottola gave Epstein a “a huge box of Bridgewater Chocolates” in December 2011 and “gift basket” in September 2017.

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Mottola served as CEO of Sony Music Entertainment from 1988 to 2003.

He married Mariah Carey in 1993, and they divorced five years later. Carey described her marriage to him as controlling and restrictive.

The Daily Beast reached out to representatives for Fallon and Mottola for comment.