HOLLYWOOD - Talk-show host Jay Leno has agreed to pay laid-off members of his Tonight Show staff--after he was heavily criticized for not offering to pick up their paychecks amid the ongoing writers strikes.
Unlike peers David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, Leno--who makes an estimated $27 million a year--had refused to cover the salaries of his show staff out of his own pocket after they were made redundant on Friday.
But after facing a severe backlash from striking workers, the star has relented and agreed to pay his staff a week's wages, according to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.
The layoffs at the Tonight Show are the latest casualties in the ongoing battle between the Writers Guild of America and producers over royalties.
The strike immediately shut down the late-night comedy shows and has gradually affected the production of many network-produced primetime series, including Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.
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