Ariana Grande Mocks RFK Jr’s Vaccine Policies on Saturday Night Live

Ariana Grande used humor to poke fun at Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during her time hosting Saturday Night Live on the December 20 episode.

Grande, who is 32, appeared in several skits alongside cast member Bowen Yang throughout the night. One sketch in particular stood out. In it, Grande played an unusual dance teacher with cast member Marcello Hernández.

Their characters taught a class using strange and awkward dance moves, while most of the students looked unsure. Bowen Yang’s character was the only one who fully embraced their style.

The sketch took a political turn when Grande’s character mentioned she was not vaccinated. When questioned about it, she quickly shut it down with a line that made clear who the joke was aimed at. “Excuse me you can’t actually ask me that in RFK’s America,” she said.

Viewers noticed right away. Many took to X, to talk about the moment. One user wrote, “LOL at Ariana Grande breaking character on SNL after saying she’s ‘not vaccinated in RFK’s America.’” Another said, “Ariana breaking character after her joke about RFK #SNL.” A third added, “I fear that ‘I’m not vaccinated’ is going to be a season 51 classic. As is that RFK Jr. line.”

More fans joined in, pointing out how hard it seemed for Grande to keep a straight face. One post read, “ariana herself couldn’t even take that RFK’s America line seriously #snl.” Another simply said, “Ariana broke after that RFK joke #SNL.”

The joke landed strongly with audiences because of RFK Jr.’s public stance on vaccines. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, he has questioned vaccine safety for years and has rolled back several federal vaccine policies since taking office. He has also placed critics of vaccines into important health roles.

Earlier this month, RFK Jr. held a meeting with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group tied to the CDC. After that meeting, the committee voted to undo the recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine.

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