- 6/5/2025
From controversial performances to technical mishaps, some celebrity appearances on Saturday Night Live became career-defining moments - for all the wrong reasons. Join us as we look at the most notorious Studio 8H disasters that left lasting marks on these stars' reputations and careers.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at celebrities whose careers imploded on SNL.
00:14Some of these figures managed to rebuild their reputations, while others remained defined by ill-fated trips to Studio 8H.
00:30Number 10. Fear.
00:34This punk rock band might not have been a household name in 1981.
00:37However, Fear had at least one prominent fan, John Belushi.
01:00When Belushi returned in what would ultimately be his final SNL appearance, he was adamant that Fear would be the musical guest, with Slam Dancers.
01:09The performance got out of control, with one of their songs being cut short.
01:12It was rumored that a riot broke out with thousands of dollars in property damage.
01:16Hollywood Boulevard, Welfare Hotel, and I spent the night in jail, in the Wilcox Hotel.
01:25While some say that's grossly embellished, the appearance gave the band a reputation.
01:30Although Fear recorded their first record shortly after, various clubs refused to book them.
01:35Fellow punk rockers have cited Fear as an influence, but their infamous SNL performance has arguably clouded their music.
01:48Number 9. Jenny Slate.
01:50This stand-up joined SNL during its 35th season.
01:53Jenny Slate immediately left an impression.
01:55Although, not in the ideal way.
02:01Welcome to Biker Chik Chat. I'm Dawn. I do me.
02:04This is my show. Either love it or change the frickin' channel. Okay?
02:08The premiere episode included a sketch, where several words, beginning with F, were uttered.
02:13Slate accidentally let the wrong F-word slip.
02:16Hey, Beth, what'd you do this weekend?
02:17I frickin' drank beer and made jean shorts.
02:20I frickin' love you.
02:22I frickin' know, so who's your first guest?
02:24Are you frickin' kidding me right now? It's who it always is. It's my frickin' best friend, Donna.
02:28Get off my frickin' back. I know it's Donna. I was just trying to make an atmosphere.
02:32Then bust into a frickin' Yankee Candle store and get a frickin' Bayberry Candle.
02:36You know what?
02:43She did her best not to break character, but the moment still felt like a slow-motion train wreck.
02:48While Slate remained with SNL for his season, it almost seemed as if she were in the penalty box, with few other sketches showcasing her talent.
02:55Nevertheless, Slate claims the F-bomb isn't solely why she was let go from SNL, saying it just wasn't the right fit.
03:00What seemed like her big break was a setback, but Slate soon found a claim in film and television.
03:06On behalf of me, my frickin' best friend Donna, and my mom's frickin' best friend Beth, you just do you, and we're gonna be fine.
03:13I love you.
03:14I frickin' love you.
03:16Number 8. Damon Wayans
03:18Damon Wayans felt he was being underutilized during his first and only season on SNL.
03:23The Mr. Monopoly sketch, in which he played a cop, is one example of how the show treated Wayans as a glorified extra.
03:30If the Parker brothers could see you now, they puke.
03:32Why you ain't in jail, Mr.
03:34Oh, that's right, you're Mr. Monopoly.
03:35Live on the air, Wayans put his own spin on the character, playing him in a stereotypically gay manner.
03:41Wayans knew going off script was grounds for termination, which is precisely what happened.
03:45Some were convinced Wayans sabotaged his career.
03:48Others argued the stunt would make his career.
03:50While Wayans briefly returned to SNL that season, it was uncertain if he'd ever truly break out beyond the stand-up scene.
03:56That was until he joined another sketch comedy series, In Living Color, four years after his SNL firing.
04:01I feel that they should have spent more time where the real story is, in the prisons.
04:06Number 7. Andy Kaufman
04:08Many wouldn't understand the genius of Andy Kaufman until he was gone.
04:12Although never officially a cast member, Kaufman had sporadically appeared on SNL since the first episode.
04:17Hi, I'm Gary Kroger.
04:23I'm blushing, thank you, but that's not the reason I'm here tonight.
04:26With Kaufman's act becoming increasingly divisive, SNL left his fate in the viewers' hands.
04:31Two numbers were provided, one to keep Andy, and the other to dump him.
04:35While Kaufman was in on this bit, it backfired, with the public ultimately voting to give him the boot.
04:39Ladies and gentlemen, the moment of truth has arrived.
04:43But before I give you the final tally, I want to thank everyone for calling, and I want to apologize to all of you who tried to get through but couldn't.
04:51That's just the way the phone company works sometimes.
04:54Although Kaufman accepted the results, the negative press only made it harder for him to find work.
04:58Some felt antagonizing executive producer Dick Ebersole was one example of Kaufman's self-destructive behavior.
05:04To an extent, this foreshadowed his premature death in 1984, almost a year after his last SNL appearance.
05:11Well, as you said, I was wrestling women, and I went down to Memphis, and I wrestled a lot of women down there.
05:20And in doing so, I made fun of Memphis and said a lot of things against Memphis and against a lot of the people down there.
05:30And so I was challenged by this man, Jerry Lawler.
05:33Number six, Kanye West.
05:35Ye is no stranger to causing a ruckus on live television, be it a hurricane relief telethon or the VMAs.
05:42Despite West's unpredictable track record, he served as SNL's musical guest several times without major incident.
05:47Hi, I'm Adam Driver, and I'm hosting the season premiere of SNL this week with musical guest Kanye West.
05:53All right, now you're Kylo Ren in Star Wars.
05:55Hey, Kanye, what do you think your Star Wars name will be?
05:57Kanye West?
05:59Well, until West's September 2018 appearance, that is.
06:02Closing out the season 44 premiere, West donned his MAGA hat, launching a rant supporting President Donald Trump.
06:08So many times I've talked to, like, a white person about this, and they say, how could you like Trump? He's racist.
06:15Although the tirade wasn't aired, Kenan Thompson joked that West essentially held everyone in the room hostage.
06:20Contrary to rumors, West wasn't banned from SNL, although between this scandal and his feud with Pete Davidson,
06:26it's not surprising that he hasn't appeared on the show since.
06:28And we all had to stand behind him, and here's what it looked like.
06:33So, like, I'm, like, on the left. I'm like, oh, God.
06:37Meanwhile, West's career has continued to spiral amid mental health issues and other controversial statements.
06:43Number five, Milton Berle.
06:45From vaudeville to radio to the dawn of television, Milton Berle left his mark as a comedy legend.
06:51I'm staying over here at the Essex house. They put me over here, and I'm really, last night, by mistake, I walked in the wrong door.
06:58Knocked on the door, a girl opened the door, and she said yes. I didn't even ask her.
07:02By the late 70s, though, Berle was generally seen as a fading star.
07:06Hosting SNL provided an opportunity to connect with a new generation.
07:09Yet, the SNL team knew they were in trouble, as the notoriously egotistical Berle attempted to hijack the production,
07:16plaguing the set with humor that ranged from dated to deeply offensive.
07:20Fuck on, Wayne.
07:21Hello.
07:27How are you doing?
07:29I'm sorry I was late. You see, when I was walking out of the supermarket, the security guard stopped me.
07:37Berle proved so self-congratulatory that he guaranteed a standing ovation for his performance of September Song,
07:43although Lorne Michaels' claims only about 10 stood up.
07:45Not only was he banned from SNL, but his appearance seemingly proved something everyone other than Berle knew.
07:51His time in the spotlight had come and gone.
07:53I have two stars on the Walk of Fame.
07:58Oh, yeah, who gives a shit?
08:00I once held 97% of America's television viewing audience.
08:05Number 4.
08:06Charles Rocket
08:06With the exit of Lorne Michaels and the original cast, SNL Season 6 desperately needed a life preserver.
08:13The season found his saving grace in Eddie Murphy, although executive producer Gene Dumanian expected Charles Rocket to be the show's latest breakout.
08:20Central Park, a veritable oasis in the heart of New York City.
08:24Acres and acres of places to have fun and places to be the victim of a crime.
08:29Hi, Charles Rocket.
08:30Ironically, Rocket would be Dumanian's undoing.
08:33After Rocket dropped an F-bomb during a 1981 taping, director Dave Wilson thought it might be the end of live television.
08:40I was right there watching when he did it on the air, and we all didn't want him to do it, you know.
08:45He had done it.
08:48He did it on purpose.
08:50It wasn't, but Dumanian was swiftly replaced with Dick Ebersole, who opted not to bring back Rocket or several others for the following season.
08:57Between his SNL firing and self-inflicted death in 2005, Rocket found work as a supporting player in projects like Dumb and Dumber.
09:04Oh, don't play dumb with me, asshole.
09:06I'm the rightful owner of that briefcase that you've been carrying around.
09:10Oh, well.
09:12He never became the superstar that Dumanian envisioned, however.
09:16Number 3.
09:17Sinead O'Connor.
09:18Sinead O'Connor was perhaps even more well-known for her outspoken political and social views than her music.
09:23The late singer's legacy has been overshadowed by her 1992 SNL appearance.
09:28Following a performance of Bob Marley's War, O'Connor tore a photograph of Pope John Paul II, vaguely encouraging the audience to fight the real enemy.
09:36In the victory of good over evil.
09:45She later elaborated, accusing the Catholic Church of abuse.
09:53While O'Connor expressed no regrets, her protest received a whirlwind of criticism that followed her like a storm cloud.
09:59As more accusations surrounding the Church came to light and were addressed by the Pope himself, people began to re-evaluate how O'Connor was treated.
10:06Some at SNL even called her brave, although this reappraisal was largely reserved for after she died in 2023.
10:12At least when I studied the history, I found out that the people who were responsible for telling lies in the first place were the Vatican,
10:18who, through permitting the invasion of countries and the destruction and murder of entire races of people.
10:26Number 2.
10:27Steven Seagal.
10:28Once among the biggest action stars in the world, Steven Seagal is now primarily known for being the worst SNL host ever.
10:35That's not just our opinion.
10:36Lorne Michaels and multiple cast members have cited Seagal as the most hated host in SNL history.
10:42When he came in, we wrote it, we wrote it, we did it at read-through, and all of it was them making fun of Steven.
10:48Like, Arnold is stronger than you, he could flick you with your little baby finger and you would fly across the room and land in your own baby pool.
10:55Seagal didn't earn his title simply because he wasn't funny, or because his range is incredibly limited.
11:00Although, both are fair assessments.
11:01Above all else, Seagal came off as a jerk, who was not only incapable of taking a joke, but seemed baffled by the sheer notion of humor.
11:09And he said, if I do this sketch, if I do it, and they want to fight him, hey, we'll take you on.
11:19He goes, if I do it, I have to beat them up.
11:23Although Seagal continued to make movies, some more successful than others, his star eventually plummeted.
11:28SNL was all too happy to revel in his downfall, getting the last laugh.
11:32Oh, honey, hi!
11:34Hey, look, this is Jennifer's date, Doug.
11:37This is Jennifer's dad.
11:38Mr. Novak?
11:42I think this kid needs an ashtray.
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12:01Number 1.
12:03Ashley Simpson
12:03Before 2004, this pop singer was best known as Jessica Simpson's little sister.
12:17Ever since then, Ashley Simpson has been the one who got caught lip-syncing on SNL.
12:22At the time, it appeared Simpson's career was at a turning point with Pieces of Me making it onto the Billboard Hot 100.
12:28Simpson performed the song on SNL, although the audience grew confused when Pieces of Me started playing again
12:33during her second set.
12:43Simpson looked equally bewildered, as autobiography was supposed to play.
12:47Jigging off stage, Simpson later explained she was losing her voice.
12:58Simpson has joked about the technical mix-up and even returned to SNL.
13:01In a career-spanning music, screen, and stage, though, Simpson can't seem to escape this awkward incident.
13:07Which celebrity do you think had the most disastrous SNL appearance?
13:10Let us know in the comments.
13:11Man, old man, read this book.
13:15I've seen Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and guess what?
13:18Not a lot of black folks on the show.
13:20See you next time.
13:27Here we go.
13:28Just a reminder.
13:29You
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