Several cast members from the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live have tested positive for Covid-19, Steve Martin has said.
Last Sunday (16 February) the star-studded special featured appearances from Meryl Streep, Emma Stone, Sabrina Carpenter, Aubrey Plaza and Pedro Pescal, as well as performances from Miley Cyrus, Paul Simon and Lady Gaga.
On Thursday, host Steve Martin revealed that his comedy partner Martin Short has tested positive for Covid, along with SNL alumni Maya Rudolph, and announced he was rescheduling dates for his forthcoming tour with Short.
Martin shared a photograph on Instagram showing Short and Rudolph sharing a friendly kiss during the special, captioning the post: “Maya had Covid. Marty has Covid. I wonder why? The SNL 50th Covid curse is real.”
“Unfortunately, we have to reschedule our sold out Durham and Knoxville dates to 10/17 Knoxville and 10/18 Durham,” he said. “So sorry for the inconvenience. I think we’ll be funnier then, anyway.”
Fans sent their well-wishes to Short and Rudolph online, with one writing: “Hoping everyone has a speedy recovery.”
Another person added: “I thought about that while watching the show. There were too many people packed into that little studio. Masks are still important in those type of situations.”
“Wishing Mr Short a speedy recovery and that you don’t fall ill, Mr Martin,” said another.
Neither Short or Rudolph have addressed Martin's post since he posted on Thursday evening.
The outcomes of the event may have been foreshadowed on a Weekend Update segment aired during a special, when host Colin Jost spoke of a fictional “quad-demic” due to the rise in flu cases during the winter months.
“Health experts are facing increased pressure this winter in the face of outbreaks of Covid, the flu, RSV and nanovirus, which they’re calling a quad-demic,” Jost said.
“So we did the smart thing and packed every beloved entertainer over 60 into one tiny space,” he added.
During the special, Martin was joined by SNL cast member Short, who said he thought he was co-hosting the event – before Martin called a pair of faux Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to haul the Canadian actor out of the studio.
Rudolph, who appeared on SNL from 1999 to 2007, was one of many former cast members to return for Sunday’s anniversary special, reuniting with Amy Poehler for their “Bronx Beat” sketch. Other returning cast members included Kristen Wiig, Ana Gasteyer, Tracy Morgan, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell and many others.
The special proved a huge success and averaged an impressive 14.8 million viewers across NBC and Peacock’s streaming service.
