Jimmy Fallon, Tommy Mottola Pasta Sauce Venture Scrapped After Epstein Files Reveal Ties

A planned business venture between Jimmy Fallon and music executive Tommy Mottola has been called off after newly released Epstein files revealed extensive ties between Mottola and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The two longtime friends had been developing a branded line of pasta sauces, according to sources familiar with the project. The idea was still in its early stages and may not have launched until 2027. But plans have now been scrapped as scrutiny around Epstein’s associates intensifies.

Page Six first reported that the project had been put “on pause.” However, a source told The Hollywood Reporter that the venture is no longer moving forward at all. “Nobody wants to be within 50 feet of anyone in the Epstein files,” a source close to the project said.

Fallon and Mottola have been friends for years and are often seen together in New York City. They have frequently dined at Rao’s, a well-known Italian restaurant in East Harlem, and have even performed impromptu songs for diners. Mottola has also appeared on Fallon’s late-night show to promote his projects.

The business plan unraveled after the U.S. Department of Justice released a large cache of documents tied to Epstein’s criminal case. The files — which include hundreds of gigabytes of emails, images and other records — were made public following a Congressional mandate.

So far, about 600 documents mention Mottola. The records suggest that he was in contact with Epstein from 2010 until Epstein’s death in 2019. Emails reportedly show discussions about travel arrangements, including helicopter rentals in 2014. Other communications reference the #MeToo movement in 2017, when Mottola allegedly wrote about needing to “shut up and lay low.”

The documents also indicate that Mottola made calls and visits to Epstein’s properties in Manhattan and Paris, including during the period between 2006 and 2008 when Epstein had already pleaded guilty in Florida to charges related to soliciting minors.

Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Mottola has not publicly addressed the newly released documents. He currently serves as chairman of Mottola Media Group and co-founded Ntertain Studios after leaving his role as CEO of Sony Music Group. He was previously married to singer Mariah Carey in the 1990s and is known for helping launch the careers of major artists, including Carey and Celine Dion.

For now, the pasta sauce venture appears to be the first direct business fallout tied to Mottola since the document release. However, other powerful figures named in the Epstein files are also facing professional consequences.

Among them is Casey Wasserman, head of Wasserman Media Group, who has faced calls from some artists to step down after documents showed a close relationship with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in recruiting underage girls for Epstein.

As the documents continue to be examined, more fallout across the entertainment and business worlds may follow.