Saturday Night Live caused controversy recently when the show announced its plan to welcome business magnate Elon Musk, the world's second richest person, as a host. Musk, whose $166 billion net worth makes him the world's second richest person, has come under fire for his excessive wealth and the frequently documented humans rights violations at his companies. Fans and cast members alike spoke out against NBC's decision to have the multibillionaire host the late-night sketch show, but SNL creator Lorne Michaels didn't back down. After all, this is far from the first time a guest host has caused a stir.
Since the show's inception in 1975, Saturday Night Live has invited a different celebrity guest to host the show every week. With 46 seasons and 880 episodes, there were bound to be some troublemakers in the mix. Their offenses have run the gamut from silly to serious, making for one colorful blacklist. We're taking stock of the 10 most controversial hosts in Saturday Night Live history.
10 Lance Armstrong
When a French newspaper exposed Lance Armstrong's illegal steroid use in 2005, the pro cyclist was stripped of the seven Tour de France titles he'd previously held. Right around the same time, he was offered a hosting spot on SNL. In a controversial opening monologue, he offered this self-deprecating line: "The last time I did something too good, the French started testing my urine every 15 minutes."
9 Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase is unique in that he is the only Saturday Night Live alum to be banned from hosting the show. The National Lampoon star had a contentious relationship with other cast members, including Bill Murray, during his time on the show. He burned through first and second chances at returning to host in 1985 and 1997, when he was officially banned after harassing women during his appearance.
8 David Bowie
David Bowie was another famously difficult host to work with. After simmering tension with the cast all week, he went off book, scrapping a sketch on the fly and angering his longtime friend Lorne Michaels. Apparently acting out in response to the conflicts during rehearsals, David couldn't resist twisting the knife. Instead of playing the setlist he'd agreed to, he spontaneously launched into "Scary Monsters." Lorne had previously confided to David that the song reminded him of some dark, scary, drug-ravaged times in his past, and David was (briefly) banned from hosting.
7 Larry David
You would think someone who previously wrote for the show would play by the rules, right? In Larry David's case: wrong. The writer and comedian hosted in 2017 and got off to a rough start when he joked about dating options in a concentration camp during his opening monologue. Some felt it crossed a line, while other found the joke to be his signature comedic style: subversive and darkly funny.
6 Andrew Dice Clay
The standup comedian portrayed an exaggerated character in his act, specifically, that of a crass, loudmouthed Brooklynite who fancied himself very slick. Character or not, his material was widely regarded as toxic and even misogynistic. Fans began chanting during his opening monologue, accusing him of being racist, sexist, and homophobic. He managed to keep his cool for the remainder of the show, but fans won't soon forget the rocky, tension-fueled episode.
5 Andy Kaufman
Comedian and performance artist Andy Kaufman was known for his elaborate characters and gimmicks, often immersing himself so deeply in a gag or running bit that audiences could not tell if he was serious or acting. He made frequent appearances on the show in the '70s and '80s, but pushed the envelope too far with an audacious gag involving an SNL producer somberly announcing that Andy's performance was canceled "because Andy Kaufmann is not funny anymore." SNL viewers flooded the show's hotline, imploring producers to ban him from the show, which, finally, in 1982, they did.
4 Lindsay Lohan
Despite the three previous hosting engagements under her belt, Lindsay Lohan stumbled in her fourth appearance on SNL, though after finding out why, you'll hardly blame her. Because her instability was a tabloid punchline at the time, many sketches included ill-advised jabs at her career and her mental health. She played her roles dutifully, but appeared rattled and uncomfortable throughout the show, leaving many fans to criticize the show for making fun of her.
3 Christoph Waltz
Star of Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained, the actor caused quite the uproar in 2013 with a sketch titled Djesus Uncrossed, in which he played Jesus returning from the dead to exact revenge on the Romans who killed him. Clever satire to some was outrageous blasphemy to others, and the sketch elicited harsh condemnation from Christian groups and even one Islam group.
2 Donald Trump
Lorne Michaels took a huge amount of heat when then-presidential candidate Donald Trump hosted the show in 2015, and the decision has continued to age poorly for some. Cast members and audiences have lambasted the show for allowing him on, claiming that it wrongfully normalized him and his candidacy. The episode garnered the show's best ratings in years, clear proof that Lorne Michaels plays a publicity-focused game.
1 Adrien Brody
Having recently secured an Oscar for his portrayal of a Jewish man in Nazi-occupied Poland in The Pianist, Adrien Brody relished the chance to be in the spotlight once again, this time as host of the May 10, 2003 episode of SNL. He spontaneously donned faux dreadlocks and introduced Jamaican musical guest Sean Paul in a cartoonish Jamaican accent. Yikes, dude. Proceed to YouTube if you must, but be forewarned: this one is painful to watch.