Saturday Night Live issued a rare apology after backlash over a Trump-themed sketch that mocked White Lotus actress Aimee Lou Wood’s appearance.
Wood took to Instagram to confirm that SNL reached following a parody aired during its April 12 episode. The sketch, titled The White Potus, spoofed HBO’s vacation-resort drama by dropping Trumpworld figures into the show’s sun-soaked madness.
Trump tariffs and the subsequent market chaos were paralleled with a story told in the current season of a wealthy father who discovers while on vacation he is being investigated for fraud, a secret he tries to keep from his family.
The sketch also spoofed the dynamic between actor Walton Goggin’s character Rick and his younger girlfriend Chelsea, played by Wood, recasting it with Jon Hamm as RFK Jr., ranting about fluoride in the water to a bewildered girlfriend, played by SNL cast member Sarah Sherman — who abruptly exits the scene to kill and eat a monkey.
But one detail didn’t sit right with fans — or Wood.
In the skit, Sherman donned exaggerated prosthetic teeth and a bizarre British accent to portray Wood’s character.
Wood took to Instagram soon after to condemn the joke as “unfunny and mean.”
Wood took to Instagram to express her disappointment at the skit. (Screengrab via Instagram)
In an update on Sunday, Woods reported on Instagram that someone from the show had reached out.
“I’ve had apologies from SNL,” she wrote, adding: “The last thing I’ll say on the matter. I am not thin-skinned… But the rest of the skit was punching up and I/Chelsea was the only one punched down on.”
Wood posted an update after SNL representatives reached out. (Screengrab via Instagram)
SNL, which has made a cultural name out of celebrity skewering, rarely issues formal apologies — making this one a notable exception.
Despite SNL’s long history of pushing boundaries, formal apologies from the show are rare. Only a few high-profile incidents have compelled the show or its affiliates to publicly acknowledge missteps.
In 1992, a Wayne’s World-themed sketch made a disparaging remark about then-teenage Chelsea Clinton and her appearance, leading SNL creator Lorne Michaels and “Wayne” Mike Myers to apologize.
In 2018, cast member Pete Davidson mocked veteran and then-GOP congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw’s eye patch—which he wears due to an injury he sustained in combat. The backlash was swift, and Davidson offered a sincere on-air apology with Crenshaw himself present.
Watch above via NBC.
