Inde Navarrette used her first Saturday Night Live monologue to make a joke about Shane Gillis, teasing his controversial line about what women wear to the gym.
The actress, who stars in this year’s horror film Obsession, hosted NBC’s Halloween episode of the comedy sketch series on Saturday night. Right at the start of her monologue, Navarrette mentioned her role as Rogue in the upcoming X-Men film and that she is preparing for it.
“I know it’s really important for Marvel that you get really fit, so I’ve been working out a lot, so every morning I put on my little whore outfit, and I hit the gym,” Navarrette said.
The crowd in Studio 8H erupted in applause, recognizing the reference to the joke the host made earlier.
It was a clear dig at Gillis’ own monologue from three weeks earlier, where the comedian hosted the Oct. 10 episode. It was the third time the comedian hosted the show.
In that monologue, 38-year-old Gillis said that he had not visited the gym in a long time and “didn’t know women just dress like whores now.” He also poked fun at brightly colored workout shorts and told the men in the audience not to look as women were filming.
The joke sparked swift backlash online. Dan Levy, the actor and creator of Schitt’s Creek, uploaded an Instagram video criticizing the joke and blaming SNL for airing it.
“Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them whores,” Levy said. He went on to add that the men making those insulting remarks are showing their misogyny.
Also, former SNL cast members Ego Nwodim and Cecily Strong mocked the remark in their Instagram posts. Even comedian Phoebe Robinson criticized it. Meanwhile, Weekend Update host Michael Che was a little careful, saying he couldn’t blame anyone for “swinging and missing.”
Gillis refused to comment in those days via his representative. Later on, people on social media revealed that the comedian spoke about the backlash in an impromptu opening segment for comedian Dave Chappelle in Austin, Texas.
Also, the Oct. 10 episode gave Gillis another issue. He inadvertently swore on live television while performing a sketch inspired by Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham. Gillis then apologized to the crowd at the end of the sketch.
“SNL” terminated Gillis in 2019, just a few days after announcing him as a cast member. That was after the clips from his podcast where he could be heard making racist comments and homophobic jokes. However, he came back to host three times.
25-year-old Navarrette began her monologue by saying she was nothing like Nikki, the clingy young woman she portrays in “Obsession.” The camera then showed Navarrette’s boyfriend Nick Aiello, who was tied up and gagged in the audience.
Later in the monologue, she asked the cast to come on stage to showcase their Halloween costumes, joking that they couldn’t go out that night. Marcello Hernandez dressed up as a sexy TSA agent, and Kam Patterson dressed up as Elizabeth Holmes. Jeremy Culhane dressed up as Wolverine and pitched himself for a role in the upcoming film.
Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, announced Navarrette as Rogue in August at Disney’s D23 event. The film, directed by Jake Schreier (who also directed “Thunderbolts”), is slated to debut on May 5, 2028. The cast includes Sadie Sink, Kit Connor, Christopher Abbott, and Adam Driver as the villain Mister Sinister.
That role came after a very successful year for the actress. “Obsession,” written and directed by YouTube filmmaker Curry Barker, was made on a budget of roughly $750,000 and has already earned $522 million worldwide, making it Focus Features’ biggest release.
The Halloween episode also featured Tom Hanks reprising his David S. Pumpkins character in the cold open, which was interrupted by James Austin Johnson as President Donald Trump. Gracie Abrams made a musical guest appearance.
Navarrette was the fourth host of the show’s 52nd season, following Jalen Brunson, Dakota Johnson, and Gillis. Druski will host the show on Nov. 7, with The Strokes as the musical guest.
