Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary with a star-studded bash on Sunday. The 3-hour special was a who’s who of SNL alums, former hosts, musical guests, writers, cast, and crew. Of course, the show started off with a bang when Steve Martin came out to perform the monologue. He was later interrupted by former SNL writer, John Mulaney. Mulaney didn’t hold back when it came to his jokes. He even referenced the two former celebrity hosts who “committed murder” after appearing on the show. Sadly, his joke wasn’t off base. Two of the show’s hosts were charged with murder following their stints on the late-night comedy series.
After Steve Martin shouted out the Saturday Night Live writers, John Mulaney chimed in with a few zingers of his own. The comedian revealed that the hosts of the show have been some of the hardest people to work with throughout the course of his career. However, he applauded the fact that only two of the former hosts have been accused of murder.
“We writers really appreciated that tribute, but I believe the heart and soul of this show is the celebrity hosts, many of whom are in this room tonight,” Mulaney stated. “As I look around, I see some of the most difficult people I have ever met in my entire life. Over the course of 50 years, 894 people have hosted Saturday Night Live, and it amazes me that only two of them have committed murder.”
Former SNL hosts OJ Simpson and Robert Blake Were Charged With Murder
Many fans immediately began to wonder if the comment was a joke, or if two former hosts had actually been accused of murder. Looking back, it seems that Mulaney was correct. Both OJ Simpson and Robert Blake were both charged with murder after hosting the sketch show.
Former football great, OJ Simpson, hosted SNL in 1978. Nearly two decades later in 1994, Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of his estranged wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Although the trial was one of the most talked-about of all time, the former athlete was found not guilty of the murders.
Just a few years after Simpson’s hosting gig, Robert Blake was named Saturday Night Live host in 1982. Twenty years after his own hosting stint, Blake was charged with the murder of Bonnie Lee Bakley in 2002. Bakley was shot and killed in Blake’s car after having dinner with the actor. Two men later testified claiming that Blake hired them to kill Bakley. However, like Simpson, Blake was eventually acquitted.
Thankfully, mentioning the disgraced former hosts didn’t put a damper on the mood. The SNL 50 celebration quickly moved on to some hilarious sketches featuring big name celebrities like Pedro Pascal, Tom Hanks, Kim Kardashian, Woody Harrelson, and more.
Amanda Lynne 
