In a surprising revelation, Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast member Chloe Fineman has come forward with claims that Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder, brought her to tears during his 2021 hosting stint on the popular sketch comedy show.
Fineman shared her experience in a now-deleted TikTok video, responding to Musk's recent criticism of SNL and Dana Carvey's impression of him. The actress decided to speak out after seeing Musk's comments, stating, "If you're gonna go on your platform and be rude, like, guess what? You made I, Chloe Fineman, burst into tears."
According to Fineman, the incident occurred when she presented a sketch she had worked on overnight. She recounted, "I was so excited, I came in, I asked if you had any questions and you stared at me like you were firing me from Tesla and were like, 'It's not funny.'"
The SNL cast member went on to describe how Musk allegedly flipped through her script, repeatedly stating that he "didn't laugh once, not one time." Despite the initial setback, Fineman noted that the sketch eventually made it to air, and she "actually had a really good time" during the show.
This revelation comes on the heels of fellow SNL cast member Bowen Yang's comments on Watch What Happens Live two months ago. Yang had mentioned that an unnamed male host had made multiple cast members cry before a table read due to his dislike of the proposed ideas.
Musk has since responded to Fineman's claims on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He explained his critical stance, stating, "Frankly, it was only on the Thursday before the Saturday that ANY of the sketches generated laughs." The tech mogul added that he was concerned his appearance would be "so f****** unfunny that it will make a crackhead sober," but ultimately felt it "worked out in the end."
The incident sheds light on the behind-the-scenes dynamics of SNL and the challenges faced by cast members when working with guest hosts. While Fineman acknowledged that Musk was "really funny" in the final product, she concluded her video with a pointed message: "Have a little manners here, sir."
As the story continues to unfold, it raises questions about the creative process on SNL and the impact of high-profile hosts on the show's cast and crew.