A segment on Saturday Night Live, branded ‘shameful’ by viewers, saw the audience dramatically reacting to suspected shooter Luigi Mangione being mentioned.
Over the weekend, comedians Colin Jost, 42, and Michael Che, 41, were on hand to co-anchor the final Weekend Update of 2024.
During the segment, the pair discussed the premiere of George Santos’ new Pants on Fire podcast and President-Elect Donald Trump transferring almost $4 billion worth of his Trump Media Shares into a Trust.
However, Jost was temporarily lost for words when he mentioned Mangione, 26, who appeared in a Manhattan courtroom last week (December 19), after dropping his extradition fight.
The alleged assassin is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in front of a Manhattan hotel on December 4.
Mangione, who faces 11 counts of felony including murder as an act of terrorism, appeared to be cheered on by the SNL audience during the latest edition of the programme.
Watch the moment below:
“Luigi Mangione dropped—,” began Jost before being interrupted by what appears to sound like applauding fans.
“Yeah… definitely ‘woo’,” he continued, while looking momentarily bemused. “You’re woo-ing for justice, right?”
The actor, who is married to Marvel star Scarlett Johansson, 41, ploughed on with his monologue, stating: “Luigi Mangione was flown from Pennsylvania to New York to face multiple charges.”
Giggling could be heard in the background and he continued: “In related news, Bumble exploded.”
“Luigi Mangione has been placed in the same federal prison as Sean Combs,” added Che. “Said Combs: ‘Hmm Christmas came early,’”
The segment has divided SNL viewers, with journalist Piers Morgan slamming it as ‘shameful’.
.jpg "SNL host left stunned as studio audience cheer on Luigi Mangione 2")
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the 59-year-old typed: “So disgusting… and Colin Jost just smirks away as if it’s all one big giggle. Shameful moment for SNL.”
Meanwhile, a YouTube user commented: “This might be the greatest weekend update of all time. the banter is next LEVEL.”
“The crowd cheering for Luigi and the cast member getting salty is the funniest SNL moment in 30 years,” wrote a second.
Another penned: “’You’re wooing for justice, right?’ Bruh not me now side eyeing Jost! Read the room.”
“I think Colin was super duper scared for his life when the crowd celebrated Luigi,” remarked someone else.
“Disgusting. I couldn’t watch this segment. The victim’s family and friends are very much grieving right now,” remarked a fifth.
On Sunday (December 22), US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called the rhetoric on social media following the killing of Thompson as ‘extraordinarily alarming’.
.jpg "SNL host left stunned as studio audience cheer on Luigi Mangione 3")
“It speaks of what is really bubbling here in this country, and unfortunately we see that manifested in violence, the domestic violent extremism that exists,” he told CBS’s Face the Nation.
He added he was ‘alarmed by the heroism that is being attributed to an alleged murderer of a father of two children on the streets in New York’.
UNILAD has reached out to representatives of Saturday Night Live for further comment.
