While former “Saturday Night Live” cast members have defended comedian Shane Gillis, SNL veteran Kenan Thompson has publicly criticized his recent monologue.
Speaking at a recent event in New York City on Tuesday, Thompson stated that Gillis needs to educate himself on how his jokes might impact others. “I think you need to educate yourself on how things might impact people,” he said.
Thompson indicated that if Gillis were to return as host, he would have to sit him down for a conversation about the joke’s consequences. “I would just sit him down and be like, ‘So what do you think we could change there, pal?’ And just figure it out.”
The actor also noted that the controversy has overshadowed other aspects of the show, including new cast member Grace Reiter’s performance and musical guest Rosalía.
Thompson acknowledged he did not decide on Gillis’ potential return but insisted any invitation would require a “real chat” about behavior that could create a “wave pool” for the rest of the cast.
In contrast, prominent SNL alumni Dana Carvey and David Spade have publicly defended Gillis, while Michael Che declined to criticize the comedian when pressed during an appearance on “Today.” Che described the joke as simply “comedy.”
Ego Nwodim and Cecily Strong have mocked Gillis’ remark about women dressing like “whores” at the gym.
Gillis has not publicly responded to Thompson’s comments.
