John Mulaney jokes that only 2 SNL hosts have ‘committed murder’ – here’s who he was likely referring to

894 famous faces have hosted the US sketch show in the past five decades

John Mulaney stunned the audience during his Saturday Night Live opening monologue when he said that two out of the 894 people who have hosted the sketch show in the past five decades have committed murder.

The comedian performed at an anniversary event for the US sketch show, which has spent the weekend celebrating its 50th birthday with a series of ceremonies featuring many famous faces.

During an opening monologue with Steve Martin, Mulaney said there have been ​​894 hosts across the show's five-decade history, but “it amazes me that only two of them have committed murder”. Each week, the show sees a well-known star take over hosting duties, which involves delivering an opening monologue and appearing in multiple sketches.

Mulaney did not elaborate on the two hosts he was referring to, but it is believed he was referring to OJ Simpson and Robert Blake, who hosted in 1978 and 1982, respectively.

NFL star Simpson was the subject of one of the most high-profile murder trials in American history, over the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1994. He was charged with both murders in 1994 but acquitted the following year. He was later found liable in the wrongful death of Goldman and battery of both Brown and Goldman in a civil lawsuit, and was ordered to pay $33.5m in damages. Simpson died in 2024 aged 76.

Actor Robert Blake, best known for starring in the 1967 film In Cold Blood, was charged but acquitted in the shooting of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Though he was found not guilty at trial, he was found liable of wrongful death in a civil lawsuit and he was ordered to pay $30m in damages. Blake died in 2023 aged 89.

Elsewhere at the 50th anniversary celebrations for the sketch show, Ryan Reynolds shocked fans with a joke about the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni drama.

Reynolds and Lively’s appearance at the special was their first public showing amid the ongoing It Ends With Us scandal, which has seen both Lively and the film’s director and co-star Baldoni file respective lawsuits against each other.

OJ Simpson pictured in court in 1994 (AFP via Getty Images)

In December, Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and causing her “severe emotional distress”. Meanwhile, Baldoni, who was subsequently dropped by his agency after the allegations emerged, denied all claims and sued Lively and Reynolds for $400m (£321m) for attempting to “destroy” his reputation and career.

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SNL encouraged Reynolds, who previously hinted at a difficult time in his first social media post since Lively’s lawsuit, to reference the scandal in a small moment involving Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

John Mulaney appearing in the opening monologue for ‘SNL50’ (NBC)

When the stars spotted Lively and Reynolds in the crowd, they said: “Ryan! How’s it going?” to which Reynolds, who stood up, replied: “Great! Why, what have you heard?”

Lively, who was sitting next to Reynolds, looked at her husband in shock in what was likely a planned moment.