Jimmy Fallon and longtime music executive Tommy Mottola have scrapped plans to launch a branded pasta sauce line following renewed scrutiny tied to recently released Epstein-related documents.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fallon and Mottola had been in early development on a pasta sauce brand that could have launched as late as 2027. However, the project is no longer moving forward as attention intensifies around Mottola’s association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Page Six first reported that the collaboration had been placed on “pause,” citing a source close to the project who said, “Nobody wants to be within 50 feet of anyone in the Epstein files.” The Hollywood Reporter later reported that the venture has been shelved entirely.
The development follows the release of hundreds of gigabytes of documents connected to federal investigations into Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
The files, made public after congressional action compelled the Department of Justice to release additional materials, include communications and records involving numerous high-profile figures.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mottola’s name appears in approximately 600 documents released to date, with the materials showing contact between Mottola and Epstein over multiple years, including references to travel arrangements and other communications.
Fallon and Mottola have been friends for years and have frequently been seen together in New York. Mottola has appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote his projects.
Mottola is chairman of Mottola Media Group and co-founder of Ntertain Studios. Fallon continues to host NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
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