Awkward SNL Moments That Actors Still Regret Today

American audiences have been entertained by Saturday Night Live for more than 40 years. In addition to many great moments over the years, the show has also featured some amazing appearances by celebrities. But controversies have also plagued the show over the years.

In some cases, participants have been permanently banned.

Guests and hosts have both contributed to these squabbles. Some people took to the platform to deliver their own messages, which was a massive no-no. Other members of the regular cast also had disastrous careers after these controversies.

Sinéad O’Connor

On an episode that aired in 1992, Sinead O’Connor did something that stunned audiences all over the world.

She ripped a picture of Pope John Paul II and said “fight the real enemy.”

This was definitely one of the most controversial appearances on SNL, and the celebrity did not indicate to the crew that she was going to do that on air.

Adrien Brody

SNL host, Adrien Brody, decided to wear fake dreadlocks and greet Jamaican musical guest Sean Paul in a Jamaican accent in 2003.

The producers of SNL were furious and did not want to support his racist behavior. He was almost immediately banned from the show after the incident. Brody made statements claiming that his joke was unplanned.

Rage Against the Machine

The band, Rage Against The Machine, was banned from the show not even halfway through their performance. What went wrong for them? They performed in front of an American flag that was turned upside down.

However, it was strange that SNL did not anticipate this behavior given the group’s history of doing controversial things such as their performance in Woodstock in 1994.

Martin Lawrence

Actor Martin Lawrence made an appearance on the show in 1994 and chose to make numerous comments regarding female hygiene. To put it mildly, they were contentious, to say the least.

Reruns of this particular episode replaced Lawrence’s offensive remarks with a voiceover from Jim Downey, who was a writer on the show saying, “…was a frank and lively presentation, and nearly cost us all our jobs.” Lawrence has not been on the show since.