Key Takeaways
- Kenan Thompson defended Shane Gillis as someone he doesn’t know “to be a mean person,” but said he would talk with the comedian about his controversial SNL monologue if Gillis returns.
- Thompson said performers must balance creative freedom with avoiding harmful language, especially when one person’s actions overshadow cast members like Grace Reiter and musical guest Rosalía.
- Gillis’ joke about women’s gym attire drew criticism from former SNL cast members Ego Nwodim and Cecily Strong, while his representative Peter Micelli argued that comedians need room to test boundaries.
Kenan Thompson isn't ready to write off Shane Gillis over his controversial Saturday Night Live monologue, but the longtime cast member thinks the comedian could use a conversation about the fallout. And if Gillis returns to Studio 8H, Thompson says he'd be willing to have the conversation himself.
Speaking at the Axios Media Trends Live summit, Thompson addressed the backlash surrounding Gillis' October 10 appearance, which included a joke about women dressing like "whores" at the gym.
"I know Shane, and I don't know him to be a mean person, necessarily," Thompson said.
That defense came with a qualification. Thompson suggested he would approach Gillis almost like a parent correcting a child.
"If he were to come back, I'm sure we would have a conversation of like, 'How do you think that went?'" Thompson explained. "I would just sit him down and be like, 'So what do you think we could change there, pal?'"
For Thompson, the issue is whether their material creates problems for everyone else involved in a production.
He described the challenge as "finding the balance of both things — allowing creative liberties but also watching your step as far as harmful words are concerned."
He also wasn't particularly happy that Gillis' monologue had swallowed the conversation around the entire episode.
"Grace [Reiter], one of our newest cast members, had a phenomenal show, and it's sad because nobody's even talking about it," Thompson said. "Even [musical guest] Rosalía is getting overshadowed because we want to go back and forth on what's offensive and what's not."
Thompson stressed that he doesn't decide who gets invited back to host SNL. However, he believes a future appearance should involve an honest discussion about how one performer's actions affect the rest of the cast.
"If he were to come back, then I think we would have to have some sort of real chat where people's actions don't wave-pool the rest of us," he said.
Sitting alongside Thompson at the summit was Peter Micelli, CEO and co-founder of Range Media Partners, which represents Gillis. Micelli offered a considerably more enthusiastic defense.
"Shane is a wonderful man," Micelli said. "Comedians test boundaries, and if they don't test boundaries, guess what? Nobody's going to watch them."
Micelli argued that comedians need room to experiment without every controversial joke becoming a larger public confrontation.
Gillis' relationship with SNL has been contentious since 2019, when the show fired him days after he joined the cast following the resurfacing of offensive podcast clips. He subsequently built a successful stand-up career and returned to host the show in 2024.
