10 Most Controversial "SNL" Hosts Ever: From Shane Gillis to Dave Chappelle

1. Shane Gillis

One of the more controversial hosts in SNL history actually had his first bit of infamy before he ever appeared on the show. Not long after Shane Gillis was announced as a new cast member in 2019, showrunner Lorne Michaels announced he would be rescinding the job offer after clips surfaced of the comedian telling sexist, racist, and bigoted jokes. But after five years of a burgeoning standup career, Gillis was invited back to host in 2024, drawing plenty of ire from fans who felt his initial firing was reason enough to keep him out of Studio 8H.

2. Elon Musk

Over the past decades, Elon Musk has become a household name as a person who built a pioneering electric car company, sent rockets into space, and as one of the richest people on the planet. But the social media mogul’s once-shiny public persona began a notable slide in the later half of the 2010s, beginning when he made disparaging comments about a man attempting to rescue Thai soccer players trapped in a cave. He was then also accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19, as well as intimidating and mistreating employees.

The announcement that he had landed an SNL hosting gig in 2021 was met with some public backlash, with some fans concerned that his souring reputation should preclude him from being a part of the show. However, many others were simply baffled by the idea of someone with no notable comedic or acting chops getting the job.

3. Steven Seagal

As an action movie mainstay of the early 90s, Steven Seagal probably seemed like the perfect pop culture pick to host SNL when he was invited on air in 1991. However, his time on set and appearance on the show have gone down as one of the more miserable episodes, both for audiences and cast members alike. The actor reportedly shot down many of the writers' jokes and sketch ideas, and prep for filming went so poorly that he was almost pulled from the headlining role at the last minute, per Cracked. In a skit with Nicolas Cage a year later, Michaels even made an on-air quip about him being "the biggest jerk who's ever been on the show."

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4. Andrew Dice Clay

There's arguably no comedian who was as much of a lightning rod for controversy in the 1990s as Andrew Dice Clay. So when SNL announced the crass stand-up would be hosting the show in 1990, fans and cast members were equally shocked by the invitation. It was also the first appearance that led to an on-air boycott among the players, with Nora Dunn refusing to share screen time with Clay due to his openly racist and misogynistic material, per Vulture.

5. Donald Trump

Before he moved into the White House, former president Donald Trump generated unprecedented national controversy for statements while on the campaign trail. However, this didn't stop the top brass at SNL from inviting the candidate to host the show in 2015. His appearance sparked protests outside 30 Rock in New York City and remains something of a dark day for some of the cast who were involved.

"It was rough," former cast member Taran Killam told NPR in a 2017 interview. "It was not enjoyable at the time and something that only grows more embarrassing and shameful as time goes on."

Killam explained the controversial decision was palpable on set. "We could hear the protests during our table read," he recalled. "As we're reading 40 mediocre sketches, we just hear, 'No Trump! Donald Trump!' ... I am embarrassed, upon reflection, just because of how everyone was right. Every person outside of that building protesting was absolutely right."

6. Kanye West

After emerging as one of the preeminent rappers and musicians of the past half century, Kanye West has spent nearly most of the last decade alienating fans due to his openly bigoted statements and increasingly erratic behavior. But his appearance as a musical guest on SNL in 2018 served as one of the earliest examples of his changing public persona—and one that's among the most controversial episodes in SNL history, according to the cast.

After performing a song to close out the episode, West called some of the show's stars back on stage to ostensibly dance in the background. But just as the show's live broadcast was cut due to time constraints, the rapper went off on a long tirade.

"He voiced his opinion. Very loudly. For a long time," cast member Kenan Thompson later said in an interview with Seth Meyers on Late Night, per The Hollywood Reporter. "We’re all entitled to our opinion, [but] I don’t know if that’s the moment, necessarily, to hold people hostage like that.”

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7. Martin Lawrence

Even though it can push the boundaries from time to time, SNL is still limited by the censorship rules that come along with broadcast television. And while it can be memorable to see someone slip in a crass joke live on the air, comedian Martin Lawrence still goes down as one host who took it several steps too far. During his turn at the helm in 1994, the stand-up used his opening monologue to make over-the-top statements about feminine hygiene.

The lewd comments were deemed so offensive that Lawrence was reportedly "banned" from NBC for more than a decade and has not appeared back on SNL since, according to SlashFilm. The show also replaced the segment with an on-screen placard during reruns and streams of the episode.

8. Dave Chappelle

Comedian Dave Chappelle famously became a household name in the early 2000s before backing away from the spotlight for more than a decade. It wasn't until the mid-2010s when the standup returned to the stage with new comedy specials that landed him hosting gigs on SNL in 2016 and 2020 (both times coming the Saturday following historic presidential elections).

However, it wasn't until Chappelle's third SNL hosting stint in 2022 that he generated some genuine controversy after he was accused of making transphobic and homophobic comments in a Netflix standup special the year before, per Variety.

Even though the star's behavior led to employee walkouts at the streaming service, Chappelle remained defiantly unapologetic, telling the public in a video: "I said what I said."

Ultimately, the comic didn't make any references to his statements while hosting SNL that night. However, he did manage to ignite a separate controversy when discussing antisemitic statements made by Kanye West and NBA star Kyrie Irving in his opening monologue.

9. Milton Berle

Revolving hosting duties infamously make each week at SNL a gamble, with some guests unprepared to step up to the plate and generate laughs. Even comedy legend Milton Berle made it hard for everyone involved when he hosted in 1979, allegedly getting a little too hands-on with the run of show. From shooting down writers' ideas to flubbing rehearsals, many involved with the episode counted it as one of the worst experiences they had in Studio 8H, per Cracked.

Besides his controlling behavior off-camera, his material was also criticized for being racist and misogynistic. Michaels also recalled him trying to coordinate a standing ovation for himself during the show's conclusion—only to fail when only a handful of his invited guests rose from their chairs.

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10. Paris Hilton

To say that Paris Hilton is no stranger to the limelight is something of an understatement. But while the socialite might have plenty of on-screen experience in the realm of reality TV, those involved with the show say her turn as the host of SNL in 2005 left plenty to be desired. In an interview with Howard Stern, former SNL head writer Tina Fey didn't hold back when describing the experience.

"She’s a piece of [expetive]," Fey said, per Far Out Magazine. "We gave it her, and people thought, ‘Ah, maybe she’ll be fun’. You know, she won’t take herself too seriously. She took herself super seriously. She’s so dumb, and she’s so proud of how dumb she is."

Fey went on to say Hilton was unwilling to perform in any sketches or deliver any jokes that might make her look bad, choosing to instead lock herself in a dressing room while writers collaborated on the show.