Bowen Yang insists he didn’t get Shane Gillis fired from “Saturday Night Live.”
The “Wicked” star, 34, shut down that rumor after Michelle Greatest, who labored as a background actor on “SNL,” commented on an Instagram put up selling Gillis’ stint as host this weekend, and claimed Yang, 34, was answerable for Gillis’ 2019 firing.
“Can we acknowledge that Bowen Yang bitched him off the show- and he’s the bigger man to come host after being unfairly ditched bc of a whiny queen,” Greatest wrote beneath the clip shared by “SNL” and Gillis, 37.
“SNL fired him as a hater. He’s not. He’s very kind and has smart humor and stands up to bullying. Good for him!” Greatest added.
Yang replied to Greatest’s remark and wrote, “Didn’t do any of this but I wrote the sketch you were a background actor in.”
Greatest beforehand appeared in a 2019 sketch known as “Fashion Coward” that featured Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and host Emma Stone.
Final month, Greatest shared a clip from the sketch on her Instagram in honor of the NBC present’s fiftieth anniversary particular.
“I’ve been cut from more sketches than I’ve made it into, yet it’s the only Background work I’ll accept bc it’s literally the most amazingly fast, highly technical work I have ever seen done,” Greatest stated. “Truly impressive and congrats to the superstars who make it so legendary. The costumers, the props, the set designers- everyone behind the scenes are so beyond talented!”
Yang and Gillis each joined the “SNL” forged in 2019. Nonetheless, Gillis was fired shortly after when a 2018 YouTube video of the comic utilizing a racial slur on “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast” was dropped at mild.
The since-deleted video reportedly featured the comic mocking Chinese language accents in addition to saying numerous homophobic slurs.
“After talking with Shane Gillis, we have decided that he will not be joining SNL,’” stated a spokesperson for the present on the time. “We want SNL to have a variety of voices and points of view within the show, and we hired Shane on the strength of his talent as a comedian and his impressive audition for SNL.”
Yang, this system’s first homosexual Asian forged member, advised the New Yorker final 12 months that Gillis known as him personally to apologize.
“I ended the call by saying, ‘I guess I’ll just see you at work.’ He laughed and said, ‘Sure,’ and hung up. Then they announced that he was fired,” stated Yang.
After taking possession for his previous remarks, Gillis returned to the sketch comedy collection to host an episode in February 2024. He joked about his firing throughout his opening monologue, saying, “Most of you probably have no idea who I am. I was actually fired from this show a while ago, but if you know, don’t look that up, please. Please don’t google that.”
Gillis hosted “SNL” a second time final evening. He was joined by musical visitor Tate McRae.
