Eyes were widened and mouths dropped open late last month when it was announced that Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk would be hosting “Saturday Night Live” on May 8.
His hosting gig prompted outrage from some “SNL” cast members, though they won’t be , according to sources. And the show will go on, as Musk — who is about — has for skit ideas.
But Musk is not the only controversial guest to appear on the NBC sketch comedy show. Take a look back at some of the most shocking hosꦫts and performers over the years.
Adrien Brody
Things got cringeworthy when the Oscar-winner hosted the show with musical guest Sean Paul in 2003. Brody performed a skit that was deemed racially offensive where he went off script and wore fake dreadlocks and spoke with a Jamaican accent. “The Pianist” actor subsequently was booed from the stage and banned from hosting “SNL” ever again.
Sinead O’Connor
The Irish singer further cemented her status as an eccentric and passionate performer when she turned her 1992 performance into ꧂a protest. She proceeded to rip up a photo of Pope John Paul II on air to fight against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
Ashlee Simpson
Simpson was the musical guest alongside actor Jude Law during a 2004 hosting gig when the “La La” songstress was infamously caught lip-syncing on stage. She sang her first song without a hitch but when she was about to perform her single “Autobiography,” things went south very fast. Her band began to play the song, however, the vocals for “Pieces of Me” began to play instead. A look of horror washed over her and the show ran to commercial. In a 2018 episode of “,” the singer took responsibility for the mixup.
Donald Trump
Pre-election Trump was asked to host the show in 2015. While the billionaire made fun of🌞 his tweets and his money, about 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New Y🎃ork City where the show is filmed.
Lance Armstrong
The cycling pro took a shot at hosting during a 2005 episode around the time were uncovered by French newspaper L’Equipe. But Armstrong joked in about the report: “The last time I did something too good, the French started testing my urine every 15 minutes.”
Rudy Giuliani
The former New York City mayor took the stage in 1997 and has since been considered one of the . However, despite 𝐆the hate, and again in 2008. His skits included one where he got friendly with Saddam Hussein and ꧃Ted Koppel.
Martin Lawrence
The comedian’s stint on “SNL” shocked viewers when he improvised his 1994 opening monologue and spoke about feminine hygiene. He was supposedly banned from the show after the network had received over 200 complaints about his comments. The “Martin” star appeared on the radio show last year and was asked about his banishment. “I don’t give a damn,” he said. “I’m not banned from ‘SNL.’ They banned me from NBC at the time for a minute. But then they realized the way it went down wasn’t what they thought and then they sent me an apology letter.”
Steven Seagal
Seagal’s 1991 stint in the NBC studio was reportedly so bad, clips of his episode have allegedly been erased and . “SNL” cast member David Spade in 2020. “He was too cool and he had his image. He couldn’t be relatable,” Spade said.
Bill Burr
The comedian had fans divided over when he said that white women have “hijacked the woke movement.” “Somehow, white women swung their Gucci-booted feet over the fence of oppression and stuck themselves at the front of the line,” Burr said, adding that he has “never heard so much complaining in my life from white women.”
