Arts & Entertainment
SNL Drops Shane Gillis After Racial Slurs Spur Backlash: Reports
Shane Gillis was dropped from the late night comedy show Monday after clips from his podcast, in which he used Asian slurs, resurfaced.
NEW YORK CITY — Fired from "Saturday Night Live," it's Shane Gillis. The controversial comedian has been let go just days after the NBC sketch show announced he'd join the cast and former racist and homophobic comments resurfaced, according to reports.
An SNL spokesperson confirmed Gillis will not join the cast for its 45th season and said "we were not aware of his prior remarks" in a statement widely shared on social media.
A spokesperson for Saturday Night Live says that Shane Gillis will not be joining its cast this fall. pic.twitter.com/qh0B4cbdQO
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) September 16, 2019
SNL announced last Thursday that Gillis would join the cast and spurred outrage among those who recalled him using an Asian slur on his show, “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast."
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Gillis issued a statement on Twitter noting, "I'm a comedian funny enough to get on SNL. That can't be taken away."
pic.twitter.com/vN0htGMBVg
— Shane Gillis (@Shanemgillis) September 16, 2019
Here's a stand-up clip called "Why White People Like Country Music," in which Gillis discusses his views on going "from white trash to woke." Warning, he uses sexually explicit language.
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