15 Celebs Who Got Banned From SNL (& Why)

Live television can be unpredictable, and few shows have a longer history of unpredictable moments than ‘SNL’. Over the decades, some performers and hosts have crossed lines the show could not ignore, which led to bans that lasted for years or have never been lifted. The reasons range from on air outbursts to offstage behavior that made working together impossible.

This list looks back at the incidents themselves and the concrete decisions that followed. You will find the dates, the sketches or songs involved, and the specific actions that triggered the ban. Where bans were later softened or lifted, that detail is included as well so you can see how the show eventually handled each case.

Elvis Costello

In 1977 Elvis Costello was the musical guest and began playing the song Less Than Zero. A few bars in, he stopped the band and announced that there was no reason to play that song on American television, then launched into Radio Radio. The song criticized commercial radio, and the switch had not been cleared with the show.

The producers banned him after that appearance. Years later the relationship thawed and he returned to the studio for special events, including recreating the moment with a surprise song switch during a twenty fifth anniversary celebration.

Martin Lawrence

Martin Lawrence hosted in 1994 and delivered a monologue that included explicit remarks about personal hygiene. The language led the network to remove the monologue from repeats and insert an on screen card noting that the broadcast standards department had edited the segment.

Following that episode, he was banned from returning as host. The show did not book him for future appearances, and the original monologue has remained cut from standard reruns.

Sinéad O’Connor

Sinéad O’Connor performed in 1992 and sang War a cappella during her second number. At the end she held up a photo of Pope John Paul II and tore it into pieces while asking viewers to fight the real enemy. The action had not been disclosed to producers in advance.

The show banned her after the broadcast. In later airings the performance was replaced with rehearsal footage, and she was not invited back to appear on the program again.

Adrien Brody

Adrien Brody hosted in 2003 and improvised an introduction for musical guest Sean Paul. He walked onstage wearing a dreadlock wig and put on an accent that had not been approved during rehearsals, which broke the show’s rule that hosts stick to the script unless a change is cleared.

The unscripted bit resulted in a ban on future hosting invitations. Brody has not returned to host the show since that night.

Steven Seagal

Steven Seagal hosted in 1991 and became known inside the production for rejecting proposed sketches and insisting on ideas that the writing staff could not make work during the week. Multiple cast and crew members have described the week as unusually difficult, with last minute changes that disrupted the live process.

After that episode the show chose not to invite him back. In later seasons producers referenced the experience as a reason he would not be returning to host again.

Milton Berle

Milton Berle hosted in 1979 and brought a performance style that clashed with the program’s format. He mugged for the camera, tried to cue applause from the audience, and added material on air that had not been rehearsed, including a big finish that aimed for a standing ovation.

The production team decided not to use him again. He was effectively banned from returning, and his episode has been one of the least repeated from that era.

Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa served as both host and musical guest in 1978. During the live show he repeatedly pointed out the cue cards and distanced himself from sketches by commenting on them as he read lines, which broke the illusion the show relies on.

The show chose to ban him from future appearances after that. He did not host or perform on the program again.

Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine appeared in 1996 when the host was a presidential candidate. The band hung inverted American flags on their amplifiers as a political protest before their first song. Stagehands removed the flags between numbers, and the band was told to leave the building before their second planned performance.

The producers banned the group following the incident. The band has not returned to play on the show since that night.

Cypress Hill

Cypress Hill performed in the early nineteen nineties and used their slot to light a joint on stage. The group also damaged equipment during the performance, which violated studio rules and created issues for the live broadcast and the crew working the show.

After the episode the program banned the group from coming back. They have not appeared as musical guests again on the show.

Fear

The hardcore band Fear played the 1981 Halloween episode after being booked with help from John Belushi. The performance drew a rowdy crowd that moshed on stage and in the studio, which led to property damage and forced the control room to cut away at points.

Following the broadcast the show banned the band from returning. The episode became a reference point for how the production handled high risk live music segments in later seasons.

The Replacements

The Replacements performed in 1986 and delivered two chaotic numbers. Band members swore on air, missed cues, and appeared intoxicated, then returned for the second song wearing each other’s clothing in a way that confused the camera blocking.

The producers banned the group after the broadcast. Individual members later showed up in other contexts, but the band as a unit was not invited back to the program.

Robert Blake

Robert Blake hosted in the early nineteen eighties and drew complaints from the writing staff during the week. In one reported incident he read a sketch, crumpled the pages, and threw them back at the writer, which violated workplace conduct standards.

He was banned from hosting again after that episode. The show did not schedule him for future appearances and moved on to other hosts.

Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman became a recurring guest in the late nineteen seventies and early nineteen eighties with bits that pushed the boundaries of the format. In 1982 the show held a live telephone vote that asked viewers whether he should be allowed back, and the vote went against him.

After the vote the program enforced a ban and did not book him again. Years later the show acknowledged his legacy, but the original decision kept him off the air during the remainder of his life.

Louise Lasser

Louise Lasser hosted in 1976 while starring in the series ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman’. During the week she declined to rehearse several sketches and requested to appear only in pre taped segments, then spent significant portions of the live show away from the stage.

The production team banned her after that appearance. She did not return to host and the episode is remembered for how it influenced the show’s policies on host participation.

Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase, an original cast member, returned as host multiple times in the nineteen eighties and nineteen nineties. Over time complaints from cast and staff about his behavior piled up, including incidents in rehearsal that created a difficult working environment.

The show stopped inviting him to host after those incidents and he was effectively banned from hosting. He did appear in occasional cameos, but the main hosting role was closed to him in later seasons.

Share which moments surprised you most and tell us in the comments if there are any other bans from ‘SNL’ you think should be added.