“Saturday Night Live” made enemies from poking fun at Chappell Roan during the Season 50 premiere over the weekend.
The 26-year-old breakout pop star’s fans are upset over a sketch starring Bowen Yang that was inspired by Roan struggling with fame.
During “Weekend Update,” Yang, 33, appeared as Moo Deng, the baby hippo who went viral this month, and referenced Roan’s pleas to set boundaries with fans.
“For the past ten weeks, I have been going nonstop,” said Yang while dressed in a hippo costume. “The response has been overwhelming, but it has come to the point where I need to set some boundaries.”
“Reminder, women owe you nothing,” he went on. “When I’m in my enclosure, tripping over stuff, biting my trainer’s knee, I’m at work, that is the project. Do not yell my name or expect a photo just because I’m your parasocial bestie or because you appreciate my talent.”
Yang was clearly referencing Roan’s Instagram post from August where she wrote, “When I’m on stage, when I’m performing … I am at work. Any other circumstance, I am not in work mode. I don’t agree with the notion that I owe a mutual exchange of energy, time, or attention to people I do not know.”
After the sketch went viral, Roan’s fans took to X (formerly Twitter) and accused the NBC show and Yang of using Roan’s mental health struggles as comedic material.
They also called on Roan to cancel her upcoming musical performance scheduled for the Nov. 2 episode with host John Mulaney.
“Something about bowen being the one to voice this joke despite his interview with chappell sympathizing with her concerns less than a month ago makes me sad,” one person wrote.
“It is abhorrent for men to continue to mock women for setting boundaries and being open about their mental health struggles. bowen’s participation in this skit is only adding to the insane harassment that chappell is getting and i hope she cancels being snl’s musical guest,” someone else said.
“SNL making fun of Chappell Roan for having boundaries and struggling with her mental health feels very gross,” a third person wrote.
“I don’t understand why SNL is taking these shots at Chappell Roan a few weeks before SHE IS ON THE SHOW AS A MUSICAL GUEST,” another tweet read.
A different critic said, “Queen Chappell Roan if you want to cancel your appearance on snl I wouldn’t be mad. What’s wrong w people.”
The Post has reached out to Roan’s rep for comment.
Yang, who interviewed Roan last month, addressed the discourse over his skit in a statement on his Instagram Story Sunday.
“Oh geez. Mocks???” he wrote alongside a screenshot of a Variety headline that originally said the sketch “mocks” the “Pink Pony Club” singer. “If my personal stance and this piece aren’t absolutely clear in terms of supporting her than there it is I guess.”
The comedian added, “Everything she has ever asked for has been reasonable and even then we can connect it to another story about boundaries or whatever. Needing the hose rn…”
During the skit, Yang as Moo Deng directly defended Roan and said people should “leave her alone.”
“Let her take as much time as she needs for her mental health,” Yang said. “We both deserve patience and grace, so stop harassing her and stop throwing shellfish at her. This is what society does: It puts young women on pedestals, only to knock them down with shellfish.”
Yang also poked fun at Roan refusing to endorse a presidential candidate, though she has said she’s “voting for f – – king Kamala [Harris]” over Donald Trump.
The “HOT TO GO!” singer has been dealing with a lot, including revealing she was diagnosed with severe depression since she skyrocketed to fame. She also threatened to quit music weeks after she told off aggressive fans for expecting to have access to her at all times.
The day before the “SNL” skit aired, Roan canceled her two performances at the All Things Go festival in New York and D.C., which sparked major backlash.
“Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it,” she wrote in a statement. “I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health.”
