Bowen Yang says one poorly behaved Saturday Night Live host brought several cast members to tears, and now fans are wondering who the culprit might be. Yang revealed the anecdote to Andy Cohen on Sunday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live, where Yang appeared as a guest alongside his Las Culturistas podcast co-host Matt Rogers.
Cohen asked Yang during a game of “Truth or Kink,” Without naming names, what’s the worst SNL host behavior you’ve witnessed during your time on the show?
Yang’s response was revealing. He said, This person, this host made multiple cast members cry on Wednesday before the table-read, because he hated the ideas.
This shocking revelation has led to widespread speculation about which host Yang could be referring to. Given that Yang has been on the show since 2018, there are dozens of potential suspects among male stars.
This isn’t the first time Yang has faced an uncomfortable situation on the NBC variety series. In January, eagle-eyed viewers noticed that Dave Chappelle appeared on stage while host Dakota Johnson was saying her final goodbyes for the evening alongside fellow cast members. Yang stood far off in the corner, away from Chappelle, with his arms tightly crossed.
Fans speculated if Yang’s positioning had something to do with Chappelle’s past transphobic and anti-LGBTQIA+ jokes. For context, during his 2021 Netflix special, Chappelle said he is not that fond
of newer gays
, labeling them too sensitive.
He also referred to himself as a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), addressing issues within the LGBTQIA+ community.
In a June interview with Variety, addressing his position during the goodnights segment with Chappelle, Yang clarified that it was not an intentional move to distance himself. I stand where I always stand on [goodnights]. It was not a physical distance that anyone was creating. It had to do with so many things that were completely internal.
Tension behind the scenes at SNL isn’t unique to recent years. Former cast members have often recounted backstage friction. Chevy Chase had numerous run-ins with costars during the initial seasons and subsequent guest appearances. Pete Davidson claimed in 2018 that Chase was a ‘genuinely bad, racist person.’
The NBC variety show’s history is rife with such incidents, but these revelations by current and former cast members highlight ongoing issues. Whether it’s Dave Chappelle or someone else, Bowen Yang’s disclosure of a host reducing cast members to tears underscores the challenges and dynamics behind the curtain at one of TV’s longest-running comedy institutions.
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