SNL 50 was a night of laughter and surprises. The old guard met the new guard, as the historic show saluted some of the names that made Saturday Night Live legendary and honored one of the best sketch comedy shows of all time. Lorne Michaels pulled out all the stops for the 50th, big names like Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, and Bill Murray in attendance, and new stars like Marcello Hernández and Sarah Sherman were incorporated into the event as well. It truly was a night to remember but, unfortunately, shortly after it, a number of attendees got sick, including Whoopi Goldberg.
She was absent from The View this week because of that illness, and Steve Martin revealed that Martin Short got COVID after the event. Now, many are calling back to Colin Jost’s Weekend Update joke, which seemed to predict the situation.
Steve Martin Announced That Martin Short Got COVID After Attending SNL 50
This all seemed to start with an Instagram post from Steve Martin, who announced yesterday that he and Martin Short had to reschedule some of their shows because Short had tested positive for COVID-19.
He also revealed that Maya Rudolph tested positive shortly after the SNL 50 festivities, which she was a huge part of. Martin hilariously revealed this news along with a photo of Short and Rudolph sharing a chaste kiss on the SNL red carpet, jokingly suggesting this was where the COVID was exchanged. He captioned the photo:
Maya came down with Covid, (she did NOT come to the show with it!) Marty came down with it. The SNL 50th Covid curse is real. Unfortunately, we have to reschedule this weekend’s sold out Durham and Knoxville dates to 10/17 Knoxville and 10/18 Durham. So sorry for the inconvenience. I think we’ll be funnier then, anyway.
Martin connected the dots between the COVID Short and Rudolph came down with and SNL 50. However, they’re not the only ones who got sick after the show, Whoopi Goldberg had to step away from The View this week because she had the flu.
Whoopi Goldberg Got The Flu After SNL 50
Whoopi Goldberg, who was present at Saturday Night Live’s 50th celebration too, also was revealed to be sick in the week following the festivities. According to Entertainment Weekly, the comedian was missing from The View for two days this week because she had the flu.
It wasn’t suggested that she caught the illness at SNL 50, as Steve Martin did with Martin Short, yet this coincidence is notable, especially considering how many people were in the small 8H studio at 30 Rock for the show. They were also all present at the incredible SNL Homecoming concert, which took place two days before.
The flu circulating the events, in addition to COVID, is certainly possible, and Colin Jost even mentioned that during the special’s Weekend Update.
Colin Jost’s Weekend Update Joke Seemed To Predict This
This whole pattern of illness seems to have been called early by long-running Weekend Update anchor Colin Jost, who made a joke about the situation during his segment of the anniversary broadcast.
He noted the number of illnesses going around New York City, and the irony of having many living legends over the age of 60 in attendance for the 50th celebration, saying:
Health experts are facing increased pressure this winter in the face of outbreaks of COVID, the flu, RSV and norovirus, which they’re calling a quad-demic. So we did the smart thing and packed every beloved entertainer over 60 into one tiny space.
The joke resulted in a pretty big laugh but, considering how many entertainers became ill after the event, many of which we probably don’t yet know about, it feels pretty ominous now.
The irony is crazy, but it also goes to show that illness spreading in such a tight studio is certainly possible. You can see the entirety of this joke and others in the Weekend Update clip below:
Hopefully, no one is too sick and all of these beloved comedians and creatives will get better soon. The frigid weather in New York City certainly isn’t helping the situation, and with all the hustle and bustle of the 50th, I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone involved needs a chance to recover. Here’s to wishing these stars a speedy recovery, and we all hope to see them back on the small screen and on stage making us laugh very soon.
You can revisit the entirety of SNL 50 now by streaming the broadcast with a Peacock subscription. Also ,Saturday Night Live fans can see the NBC sketch show return to the small screen at 11:30 p.m. ET on March 1st with more exciting Season 50 hosts and musical guests to look forward to.
