Chloe Fineman recently opened up about a tense interaction with Elon Musk during his time hosting Saturday Night Live in May 2021, alleging he made her burst into tears over a sketch.
Musk’s Critical Response
In a now-deleted TikTok post, Fineman, 36, a comedian on SNL, shared that Musk’s critical remarks left her emotionally affected. Fineman claimed Musk, 52, scrutinized a sketch she wrote, stating that he “didn’t laugh once” and openly dismissed her work. Fineman recalled, “I was so excited and asked if he had any questions… but he just looked at me and said, ‘It’s not funny,’ like he was firing me from Tesla.”
SNL Host Tensions Resurface
Fineman’s revelation comes after Musk’s comments on SNL resurfaced on his platform, X (formerly Twitter), where he criticized the show, suggesting it has “become increasingly out of touch with reality.” Musk wrote, “SNL has been dying slowly for years,” and suggested it was misusing airtime ahead of the 2024 election.
In her TikTok, Fineman said, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but if you’re going to be rude, guess what? You made me cry, Elon Musk.”
Fineman’s Perspective on the Show
Despite the incident, Fineman acknowledged that the sketch made it on the show and that Musk was “funny in it”, but noted she expected a bit more “manners” from the billionaire. The interaction echoes a past comment from Bowen Yang, an SNL cast member, who revealed that a previous host made “multiple cast members cry” due to their negative feedback on ideas.
Fineman’s story highlights the challenges comedians sometimes face when working with non-actors, especially high-profile hosts like Musk. Despite the awkward encounter, she managed to keep the sketch and move forward, proving her resilience in the world of live comedy.
