Stars Who Were Banned from Saturday Night Live for Bad Behavior on Live TV

Saturday Night Live has been a staple of American television for nearly five decades. The live format creates an environment where anything can happen and mistakes are inevitable. Most hosts and musical guests follow the strict rules set by creator Lorne Michaels to ensure the show runs smoothly. However, a select few have defied these protocols and found themselves permanently blacklisted from Studio 8H. These stars were banned for reasons ranging from offensive on-air stunts to unprofessional conduct backstage.

Steven Seagal

Cast members and writers have universally cited this action star as the worst host the show has ever had. Seagal struggled to perform basic sketches and refused to play along with the comedic premises written for him. He was reportedly rude to the cast and crew throughout the week of rehearsals. His on-air performance was stiff and completely devoid of humor or timing. Lorne Michaels later joked during a monologue with Nicolas Cage that Seagal was the biggest jerk to ever host the show.

Elvis Costello

The British rocker was instructed by his record label to play his hit song during his 1977 appearance. He began playing the song but stopped his band after just a few bars. Costello told the audience he could not play that song and launched into a performance of ‘Radio Radio’ instead. The song was a criticism of corporate broadcasting and had been explicitly forbidden by the network. Lorne Michaels was furious at the insubordination and banned Costello from the show for over a decade.

Martin Lawrence

The sitcom star hosted the show in 1994 and began with a monologue that started normally. He quickly veered into a graphic and improvised rant about feminine hygiene that shocked the audience. The network censors were unable to cut the audio in time to prevent the comments from airing. Reruns of the episode completely removed the segment and replaced it with a title card explaining the edit. Lawrence was banned from hosting again and the incident remains a cautionary tale for future hosts.

Andy Kaufman

This experimental comedian was a recurring guest on the show during its early years. His act often involved antagonistic wrestling matches with women or awkward pauses that confused the audience. The show decided to let the viewers determine his future with a live telephone vote in 1982. The audience voted to ban him from the show by a significant margin. The producers honored the results and Kaufman never appeared on the program again.

Adrien Brody

The Academy Award winner hosted the show in 2003 and introduced the musical guest Sean Paul. Brody came onto the stage wearing fake dreadlocks and speaking in a stereotypical Jamaican accent. The audience groaned at the offensive caricature and the introduction lasted nearly a minute. Lorne Michaels notoriously hates when hosts improvise unapproved material during the live show. This awkward moment effectively ended any chance of Brody returning to host.

Charles Grodin

This actor hosted the show in 1977 and treated the entire episode as a meta-joke. He pretended he did not understand how live television worked and constantly stopped sketches to ask questions. He missed rehearsals and ad-libbed lines that threw off the cast members. The writers and producers found his behavior unprofessional rather than funny. He was never asked to return despite his career success in film.

Milton Berle

The legendary comedian hosted in 1979 and clashed with the new generation of comedy writers. He refused to perform the sketches as written and inserted his own outdated material. He constantly upstaged the cast members by mugging for the camera and stealing their punchlines. The final straw came when he arranged a standing ovation for himself at the end of the show. Lorne Michaels felt respected for his legacy but decided his style did not fit the show.

Robert Blake

The actor hosted in 1982 and was reportedly difficult for the cast and writers to work with. He expressed open dissatisfaction with the sketches and crumpled up a script during a table read. He threw the paper at a cast member and made a rude comment about the writing. The hostile atmosphere he created backstage made everyone uncomfortable throughout the week. He was banned from the show long before his later legal troubles occurred.

Louise Lasser

The actress hosted the second-to-last episode of the first season in 1976. She locked herself in her dressing room and refused to come out for sketches. Her monologue was a rambling and incoherent stream of consciousness that confused the viewers. She insisted on performing scenes with just her dog instead of the cast members. The erratic behavior led to her being the first person ever banned from the show.

Frank Zappa

The musician hosted in 1978 and made it clear he did not respect the format of the show. He constantly broke character and looked directly at the camera to acknowledge he was reading cue cards. He told the audience that the sketches were fake and refused to commit to the bits. The cast members felt he was ruining their work on purpose. His refusal to take the job seriously resulted in a permanent ban.

Chevy Chase

He was one of the original cast members but became the only one banned from hosting later in his career. His behavior backstage during his return appearances was reportedly abusive toward the staff and new cast members. He slapped cast member Cheri Oteri on the back of the head during a rehearsal in 1997. Will Ferrell and other cast members complained to management about his conduct. The physical altercation led to a ban on him hosting the show ever again.

Damon Wayans

The comedian was a featured player on the show during the 1985 season. He grew frustrated with the small roles he was given and decided to sabotage a live sketch. He played a police officer character with a flamboyant persona that was not in the script. The improvisation confused his scene partners and derailed the sketch completely. Lorne Michaels fired him immediately after the show for his unprofessional rebellion.

Ye

The rapper appeared as a musical guest multiple times but wore out his welcome in 2016. He went on a long political rant about Donald Trump while the credits were rolling. He also had a meltdown backstage before the show and threatened to leave the building. Audio of his yelling at production staff was leaked to the press. The combination of his erratic behavior and political tirades led to a soft ban.

Paris Hilton

The socialite hosted the show in 2005 and left a negative impression on the entire staff. She reportedly checked her phone constantly during rehearsals and refused to engage with the writers. Tina Fey later described her as being completely uninterested in the creative process. She focused entirely on her appearance and offered no comedic contributions. Lorne Michaels decided she did not have the work ethic required to return.

Tom Green

The shock comedian hosted in 2000 and brought his bizarre brand of humor to the stage. He brought a live duck on stage and performed sketches that were intentionally uncomfortable. He shouted at the audience and aggressively invaded the personal space of the cast members. The episode is frequently cited as one of the oddest in the show’s history. The producers felt his style was too disruptive for the format.

Lindsay Lohan

The actress hosted the show multiple times and was once a favorite of the production team. Her personal struggles and reliability issues eventually made her too much of a liability. She struggled to remember her lines and relied heavily on cue cards during her later appearances. The show could not risk booking a host who might not be able to perform live. She was quietly removed from the rotation of regular hosts.

Samuel L. Jackson

The legendary actor appeared in a sketch in 2012 and let slip a profanity and a near-profanity. He claimed later that the line was actually written on the cue card. Lorne Michaels was visibly upset during the broadcast about the slip. While he returned for the 40th anniversary special, he was kept away from hosting duties for a long period. The show maintains a zero-tolerance policy for swearing even from big stars.

James Franco

The actor was a frequent host who appeared on the show many times. He was distanced from the show following allegations of sexual misconduct in 2018. The show has a history of cutting ties with stars who become embroiled in serious scandals. He has not appeared in cameos or hosting roles since the reports surfaced. The ban is part of a broader industry shift regarding such allegations.

Kevin Spacey

The actor hosted the show multiple times before his career collapsed. He was completely blacklisted from the entertainment industry following numerous sexual assault allegations. Reruns of his episodes are rarely shown and he is persona non grata at the studio. The severity of the accusations makes any return impossible. The show has scrubbed his presence from its current rotations.

Louis C.K.

The comedian was a favorite of the show and hosted several acclaimed episodes. He was banned after admitting to multiple incidents of sexual misconduct. The show cancelled his planned hosting appearance immediately after the news broke. He has been excluded from all anniversary celebrations and retrospectives. The nature of his actions violated the code of conduct expected of guests.

Share your favorite SNL disaster moment or tell us who you think deserves a second chance in the comments.