SNL': Inde Navarrette Takes Swipe at Shane Gillis During Monologue - Variety

“Saturday Night Live” host Inde Navarrette used her Halloween night opening monologue to target Shane Gillis’s recent controversial comments about women’s gym attire, poking fun at the stand-up comedian while introducing her upcoming Marvel role during the show’s fourth episode of Season 52.

Why Did Inde Navarrette Call Out Shane Gillis During Her Monologue?

Following a Trump-centric cold open featuring the return of Tom Hanks as David S. Pumpkins, Variety reported that Navarrette took the Studio 8H stage for her first hosting stint on Oct. 31. The 25-year-old star of the supernatural horror film Obsession quickly addressed the internet chatter surrounding her before pivoting to Gillis’s earlier monologue from October.

“You probably know me from the movie ‘Obsession.’ And a lot of people ask me if I’m anything like my character Nikki and I’m like, ‘No… no, no, don’t do that!’” she joked. After cutting to a visual gag of her boyfriend, Nick Aiello, bound and gagged to a chair in the audience, Navarrette directly referenced Gillis.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to be in a Marvel movie,” said Navarrette, who plays Rogue in the upcoming X-Men film. “And 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.”

According to The Daily Beast, Gillis drew heavy backlash earlier in the month for a joke in his own monologue complaining that women at the gym dress like “wh—s” in bright, artificial-bait-colored shorts. The Daily Beast also noted that Gillis’s remarks previously prompted responses from former cast member Ego Nwodim and Weekend Update co-anchor Ania Magliano over at SNL UK, before Gillis reportedly addressed the backlash during an appearance at a Dave Chappelle show in Austin.

Who Performed and What Else Happened on the Halloween Episode?

As detailed by USA Today, Navarrette was joined by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams, who served as the musical guest ahead of her December world tour for her third studio album, Daughter from Hell. Abrams previously performed on the show in December 2024.

Inde Navarrette and Shane Gillis — Photo: The Daily Beast

Yahoo News Canada noted that this Halloween broadcast marked only the fifth time in the 52-season history of Saturday Night Live that an episode has aired live on Oct. 31, following a 2020 Halloween show hosted by John Mulaney. Page Six confirmed that the Season 52 cast features veterans like Kenan Thompson alongside newer additions including Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter, following Chloe Fineman’s departure in July after seven seasons.

When Can Viewers Watch the Next Episode of Season 52?

Saturday Night Live airs live on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC, with new episodes available to stream on Peacock. Following the Halloween episode, Yahoo News Canada reported that Druski will host with musical guest The Strokes on Nov. 7, followed by John Mulaney and musical performer Phoebe Bridgers on Nov. 14.