Gillis' SNL Gym Joke Triggers Celebrity Backlash and Divided Reactions

Key points

• Gillis' October 10 monologue included the line: 'I haven't been to the gym in so long, I didn't know women just dress like whores now.'
• Maren Morris responded on Instagram with a video giving a middle finger, captioned 'Leave my gym short wedgie out of it.'
• Dan Levy posted a video stating that calling women who wear short shorts 'whores' makes the men 'misogynists,' not the women.
• Ego Nwodim posted a gym selfie with the caption 'whore reporting for duty' and later referenced 'heauxing' in a post about protein intake.
• Gillis apologized for dropping an F-bomb during a Dr. Seuss sketch but did not address the gym monologue.
• The backlash occurred while the country was reckoning with a scandal over an alleged sexual assault at Cornell University.

Background

This is Gillis' third time hosting 'SNL,' following appearances in 2024 and 2025. He was previously fired from the cast in 2019 over racist comments, a decision executive producer Lorne Michaels later said he was unhappy with. His 2024 debut monologue also featured controversial material, including jokes about family members with Down syndrome. The current incident follows a pattern of Gillis bringing edgy, controversial stand-up material to the show, which has previously drawn mixed audience reactions and criticism from some viewers and commentators.

How outlets are covering it

Outlets reported a divided response to Gillis' monologue. USA Today and NBC News highlighted the sharp criticism from Maren Morris, Dan Levy, and Ego Nwodim, framing the backlash as a condemnation of misogyny. USA Today noted that some stars, including Jay Pharoah and Travis Kelce, reacted more favorably, with Pharoah posting laughing emojis and Kelce appearing to like the post. NBC News emphasized the timing of the backlash, linking it to a national reckoning over a sexual assault scandal at Cornell University. Deadline focused on a separate incident from the same episode, where Gillis accidentally swore during a sketch and apologized, but noted that the monologue remained the primary focus of outrage. All sources agreed that Gillis did not address the gym joke in his apology.

Why it matters

The incident highlights ongoing tensions around edgy comedy and its reception in a cultural climate sensitive to issues of misogyny and sexual assault. The divided celebrity response underscores the polarized nature of public discourse on comedy and social boundaries. It also reflects the broader scrutiny faced by 'SNL' hosts who push controversial material, as seen in Gillis' previous hosting stints and his 2019 firing.

What to watch

Gillis is not scheduled to host 'SNL' again in the immediate future, but the backlash may influence future casting decisions or his public profile. The incident may also prompt further discussion about the boundaries of comedy on network television, particularly in light of recent national conversations on sexual assault and misogyny. No immediate action from 'SNL' or NBC has been reported regarding the monologue itself.