The top five most shocking guest controversies on Saturday Night Live as the show approaches its 50th anniversary.
Saturday Night Live is marking its 50th anniversary with a special episode airing in February, along with a documentary set to premiere on Peacock.
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A show couldn't be on air for 50 years and not have a few scandals.
Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 50th year on the air this year. The beloved late night show always has a host and musical guest every episode, sometimes one person doing both. But while shows sometimes go smoothly, every once in a while, a weekly guest doesn't stick to the script.
The show is always shot live, which can sometimes work against the cast and crew. Here's a few of the guests over the years that caused a few eyebrows to raise.
Ashlee Simpson's lip-syncing incident
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During the peak of her fame, Ashlee Simpson appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in 2004. She performed her popular track, Pieces of Me, earlier in the evening without any issues.
However, when she stepped onto the stage for her second performance of "Autobiography," it became apparent that she was lip-syncing, as the track from her earlier song began to play. Caught off guard, Ashlee momentarily panicked, danced a bit, and then quickly exited the stage.
The incident has gained widespread attention, as Ashlee revealed last year that she relied on pre-recorded vocals due to illness. Despite her objections, her record label urged her to go through with the performance. Ashlee remembered feeling anxious, saying, "My band hasn’t rehearsed this, this isn’t going to turn out well, I can’t handle this."
Martin Lawrence 'prohibited'
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In 1994, comedian Martin Lawrence made a memorable appearance on Saturday Night Live as the host, delivering a monologue that veered completely off script during the live broadcast.
The complete monologue was removed from online platforms, leaving only a handful of clips accessible. In the contentious segment, Martin made inappropriate remarks regarding the scent of women's private areas, resulting in more than 200 complaints. This uproar prompted sponsors of the show to voice their objections, ultimately resulting in Martin's ban from the program.
