Bowen Yang responds to claims he played a role in Shane Gillis' 'SNL' firing

SNL cast member Bowen Yang recently defended himself against accusations that he was behind the termination of comedian Shane Gillis in 2019. The allegations circulated before Gillis's return as an SNL host, and this renewed social media debate.

Yang went straight to address the accusations, claiming he was not a party to the decision. His statements have re-ignited the heat on the scandal of Gillis's departure from SNL.

Background of the Firing of Shane Gillis

Shane Gillis was revealed as a new SNL cast member, together with Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman, in September 2019. Not long afterwards, some previous episodes of his podcast surfaced where Gillis had spoken offensively, i.e., with racist and homophobic comments.

As per BBC, following public backlash, SNL chose to pull Gillis's casting. At the time, an SNL representative stated,

"We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days. The language he used is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable."

"We are sorry that we did not see these clips earlier, and that our vetting process was not up to our standard."

This move led to widespread controversy over cancel culture and screening new cast members.

Recent Allegations Against Bowen Yang

As per the reports from CBR and Entertainment, that claim came from Michelle Best, a background actress from SNL, commenting on a social media posting supporting Gillis to be the host of future SNL. According to Best, Yang had some influence in having Gillis terminated, starting the idea that Yang himself was also the trigger of his termination.

Best's response read:

"Can we acknowledge that Bowen Yang b**ed him off the show, and he's the bigger man to come host after being unfairly ditched bc fo a whiny queen."

The post received huge attention right away, prompting a response from Yang.

Bowen Yang's Response

According to Entertainment, Yang quickly dismissed involvement in the sacking of Gillis. He replied directly to Best's comment, stating:

"Didn't do any of this but I wrote the sketch you were a background actor in."

It was brief and direct, expertly deflating the claim without compromising on professionalism.

In a 2024 interview with The New Yorker, Yang discussed the controversy, and it was disclosed that Gillis had called him during the controversy. The exchange remembered by Yang went on, "I ended the call by saying, 'I guess I'll just see you at work.' He laughed and said, 'Sure,' and hung up. Then they announced that he was fired." This shows that even Gillis himself did not know the result then.

Lorne Michaels' Perspective

SNL creator Lorne Michaels also spoke about Gillis's termination in the past. Michaels clarified that the decision to terminate Gillis was made by network executives and that he did not completely agree with the decision.

As per Entertainment, Michaels stated, "He said something stupid, but it got blown up into the end of the world." His statement shows that the decision was made for reasons beyond the control of cast members like Yang.

Shane Gillis's Career After Leaving

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Even after he departed from SNL, Shane Gillis was successful in carving out a career as a comedian. He has put out stand-up specials, has a strong fan base, and even hosted SNL in February 2024, with another hosting gig lined up for March 2025.

Bowen Yang, on the other hand, has been leading the charge at SNL, racking up multiple Emmy nominations and increasing his reach in comedy and entertainment.

The surfacing of allegations regarding Yang's role in the sacking of Gillis is bringing back the glare of the 2019 scandal. Yet Yang has refuted in entirety any personal involvement, and statements made by him and Lorne Michaels appear to indicate a level decision having been made.

With Gillis on the verge of coming back as an SNL host, his former departure remains a subject of rumour. However, both comedians have since moved on and continued to make their presence felt in the world of comedy.

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