‘SNL’ Doesn’t Have a Huge History With Apologies — But Has Acknowledged Wrongdoings Over the Years

An apology from Saturday Night Live? You better believe it.

The sketch comedy show is known for pushing the boundaries and making people uncomfortable but sometimes — rarely — creator Lorne Michaels and certain cast members have apologized for their words and actions on the show.

In April 2025, White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood shared on social media that she found SNL’s skit about the HBO Show “mean and unfunny,” especially after the show made fun of her teeth. (Cast member Sarah Sherman dressed up as Wood’s character from the White Lotus.)

“Such a shame cuz I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago,” Wood’s social media post read. “Yes, take the piss for sure — that’s what the show is about — but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way?”

Hours after sharing her initial issues with the sketch, Wood shared that she did hear from the NBC show.

“I’ve had apologies from SNL,” she stated. It’s unclear who was the one that reached out or if the SNL treatment of a public apology within another episode of the show will be coming soon.

Keep scrolling for a breakdown of SNL’s apologies over the years:

The 1st Apology

Announcer Don Pardo read the show’s first-ever public apology live on air in 1976 after the show poked fun at French singer Claudine Longet, who was arrested at the time for accidentally shooting and killing her partner Vladimir “Spider” Sabich. (Longet was convicted of negligent homicide and spent 30 days in jail.)

“It is desirable to correct any misunderstanding that a suggestion was made that, in fact, a crime had been committed,” the statement read. “The satire was fictitious and its intent only humorous. This is a statement of apology if the material was misinterpreted.”

Bill Murray’s Season 2 Sketch

The comedian was forced to make an apology for his performance on the show, telling viewers in 1977 that he wasn’t “making it on the show,” despite being a funny guy.

Murray discussed this during a February 2025 appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, explaining that he had written “three great sketches” during his first week — but things went downhill.

“That was it. No one ever wrote a sketch for me for, like, seven months or so. … I had like a line or two lines a week,” he added, noting that the apology was a way for viewers to “see who I really was.”

The Subtle Apologies for Sinead O’Connor

O’Connor infamously ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II following her 1992 performance of SNL. One week later, the show subtly apologized for her surprise action by using host Joe Pesci to criticize her actions and tape the photo of the late pope back together. Madonna also alluded to the controversy when she hosted that same year.

“We were sort of shocked,” Michaels recalled of the moment in a 1993 interview. “The way you would be shocked at a houseguest [expletive] on a flower arrangement in the dining room.”

That ‘Wayne’s World’ Moment

Creator Michaels and cast member Mike Myers apologized publicly after a 1993 skit that included a joke about Chelsea Clinton, who was 12 at the time.

“We felt, upon reflection, that if it was in any way hurtful, it wasn’t worth it,” Michaels stated at the time. “She’s a kid, a kid who didn’t choose to be in public life.”

The Disclaimer Over Adam Sandler

Sandler played a Boy Scout in a 1994 skit, which showed Alec Baldwin attempting to seduce him — seemingly without permission. They later performed a corrected version of the sketch where consent was involved.

Any time the original skit has been broadcast, a disclaimer has been added noting that Sandler’s character is 27 years old and “despite his age, remains active in scouting.”

Martin Lawrence Has Thoughts

Lawrence discussed douche commercials in a rather vulgar context during his 1994 appearance on the show, commenting on feminine hygiene.

When the episode aired, his comments were cut with a voiceover that said: “Although we at Saturday Night Live take no stand on this issue one way or another, network policy prevents us from rebroadcasting this portion of his remarks. It was a frank and lively presentation and nearly cost us all our jobs.”

2 Unhappy Politicians

Fred Armisen and Pete Davidson came face-to-face with former New York governor David Paterson and representative Dan Crenshaw, respectively, after some jokes didn’t land.

Armisen wandered into various “Weekend Update” shots in 2010, pretending to be the blind Patterson. Following the bit, Patterson appeared on the show adding that “jokes that degrade people just for their disabilities are sophomoric and stupid,” before actually taking part in a joke with Armisen.

Davidson, on the other hand, referred to Crenshaw — an Iraq War veteran who wears an eyepatch — as “a congressional candidate from Texas and not a hit man in a porno movie” during a 2018 “Weekend Update” segment. Crenshaw appeared on the show and took his own shots at Davidson.