There have been numerous behind-the-scenes tales popping out about Saturday Night time Stay because the 2025 TV schedule marks its milestone fiftieth season, together with a deep dive into the “Extra Cowbell” sketch and a take a look at the terrifying SNL audition course of. Nonetheless, one story appears to stay on the forefront of individuals’s minds that’s circuitously associated to the present’s huge anniversary — how Elon Musk made forged members cry when he hosted in 2021. The problem got here up once more this week after Musk made a controversial gesture throughout a speech at Donald Trump’s inauguration, with Chloe Fineman saying she has “no regrets” about calling out the billionaire.
Elon Musk has come underneath fireplace for doing a gesture through which he put his proper hand on his chest earlier than stretching his arm out straight, palm down, which many have interpreted as a Nazi salute. SNL forged member Chloe Fineman, whose father is Jewish, was amongst these to remark, posting an Instagram Story (by way of Day by day Beast) that mentioned:
Bear in mind when i bought in bother for calling out mr nazi salute? ya no regrets.
Regardless of some individuals defending Elon Musk, who made the gesture whereas saying, “My coronary heart goes out to you,” in due to those that helped Donald Trump get elected, Chloe Fineman doesn’t seem to have modified her opinion on the SpaceX founder.
Bowen Yang was truly the primary to carry consideration to the host’s reported unhealthy conduct, although when he talked about the Saturday Night time Stay visitor who “made a number of forged members cry” on Watch What Occurs Stay in August 2024, Yang didn’t identify Elon Musk. That got here in November, when Chloe Fineman posted a now-deleted TikTok video that recognized the X (Twitter) proprietor because the individual Yang was speaking about. She continued:
Guess what? You made I, Chloe Fineman, burst into tears as a result of I stayed up late writing a sketch. I used to be so excited, I got here in, I requested for those who had any questions and also you stared at me such as you have been firing me from Tesla and have been like, ‘It’s not humorous.’ I waited so that you can be like, ‘Haha jk.’ You then began pawing by means of my script, like flipping every web page, being like, ‘I didn’t snigger at this. I didn’t snigger as soon as, not one time.
Bowen Yang offered comparable context for why the visitor host’s response precipitated such an emotional response from Chloe Fineman and probably different forged members, saying:
Think about you keep up till 4 a.m. writing a sketch after which the host is like, ‘I fucking hate this.’ Your nerves are frayed, you’re going to have some bizarre, weird emotional response.
Elon Musk responded to being known as out by Chloe Fineman in November, admitting that he was “frightened” when he first learn the sketch, however that it labored out ultimately. He wrote on X (Twitter):
Frankly, it was solely on the Thursday earlier than the Saturday that ANY of the sketches generated laughs. I used to be frightened. I used to be like rattling my SNL look goes to be so fucking unfunny that it’s going to make a crackhead sober!! However then it labored out ultimately 😮💨
Whereas the 2 did apparently make all the things work on the present, Chloe Fineman had no drawback revealing his conduct afterward, and particularly following Elon Musk’s controversial gesture this week, it looks as if the comic stands by her resolution to try this. You’ll be able to catch Fineman alongside Saturday Night time Stay Season 50’s hosts at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturdays on NBC and with a Peacock subscription.