Jimmy Fallon Cuts Ties With Mariah Carey's Ex Over Epstein Connections

The late-night host has ended a business deal with Tommy Mottola due to the music executive's ties to the disgraced financier.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Jimmy Fallon has severed business ties with music mogul Tommy Mottola, the former CEO of Sony Music Entertainment and ex-husband of Mariah Carey, due to Mottola's connections to the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Fallon and Mottola were planning to launch a pasta sauce line, but those plans have now been canceled.

Why it matters

The revelations about Mottola's ties to Epstein, a convicted sex offender, have made Fallon and others in the entertainment industry wary of associating with Mottola. This highlights the ongoing fallout from the Epstein scandal and the reluctance of public figures to be linked to anyone connected to the disgraced financier.

The details

Email correspondence shows that Mottola appeared to have visited Epstein's mansion several times, years after Epstein was convicted of sex crimes in Florida. The files also reveal that Mottola and Epstein exchanged gifts and communicated regularly from 2010 until 2019, the year Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges.

  • In 2017, email correspondence shows Mottola and Epstein discussing a woman hiring a lawyer.
  • Between 2010 and 2018, Epstein's assistant repeatedly asked Mottola to call Epstein.

The players

Jimmy Fallon

The host of the late-night talk show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Tommy Mottola

The former CEO of Sony Music Entertainment and ex-husband of Mariah Carey, who is named in the investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Jeffrey Epstein

The disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019.

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The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing fallout from the Epstein scandal and the reluctance of public figures to be associated with anyone connected to the disgraced financier, even indirectly. It underscores the reputational risks that can arise from such associations, even for those not directly implicated in wrongdoing.