The Lowdown
Gillis is a proven draw for SNL, but this joke landed flat in the room before it blew up online. The apology-for-a-swear contrast is what made the backlash stick.
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The Story
Hundreds of people posted negative reactions on TikTok, Instagram, X and Threads. Representatives for SNL and Gillis did not immediately respond to NBC News’ requests for comment (NBC News).
“Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them whores. It makes the men calling them whores misogynists,” Levy said. Many critics connected the joke to the national conversation around a sexual assault case at Cornell (NBC News).
Gillis was hired as an SNL cast member in 2019 and fired before his debut over past racist jokes, then invited back to host in 2024 and 2025. During this episode he apologized after accidentally cursing in a sketch (NBC News).
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