Shane Gillis returned to the red carpet with a smile weeks after his controversial Saturday Night Live monologue sparked accusations of misogyny.
Gillis, 38, attended the Los Angeles premiere of his new Prime film Madden on Wednesday. During his appearance on the comedy show last month, he said female gymgoers “just dress like w****s now.”
The film chronicles the life of late football coach and commentator John Madden, with Gillis portraying Vince McGary.
Although several weeks have passed since the controversy, Gillis’ comments remain a topic of discussion. Obsession star Inde Navarrette referenced the remarks during the most recent episode of SNL over the weekend.
Gillis nevertheless joined his castmates to support Madden at The Culver Theater in downtown Culver City.
Dressed in a suit, the comedian smiled for photographers and spent time with co-star John Mulaney and fellow comedian Nick Kroll.
Shane Gillis smiled on the red carpet weeks after facing backlash over his controversial SNL monologue
While guest-hosting SNL, Gillis, 38, delivered a bit claiming that female gymgoers “just dress like w****s now”
The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Gillis for comment.
Gillis’ latest SNL hosting appearance attracted the largest live audience of his three turns on the show. Nielsen figures licensed by the outlet Late Nighter indicated that an average of 4.4 million viewers watched the episode.
The comedian also faced widespread criticism from viewers who objected to the remarks.
During his monologue, Gillis joked about “going to the public gym as a fat guy” among “the hottest gay guys you’ve ever seen.” He then said: “Also, I haven’t been to the gym in so long, I didn’t know women just dress like w****s now.”
Smiling, he continued: “Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe it—have you seen it? I’ve seen it. The shorts? Have you seen the shorts?”
He drew laughs while describing the workout clothes as “neon” and “artificial bait-colored,” claiming the wrinkles “go around the cheeks and all combine at the butthole.”
Gillis added: “And don’t look. You’re not allowed to look. For real, don’t look, because they are filming. I’m in the background of like 10 TikToks right now.”
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As criticism spread across social media, Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy strongly condemned Gillis’ routine in an Instagram video.
“Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them w****s. It makes the men calling them w****s misogynists. There’s a difference there,” Levy said.
The film tells the story of late football coach and commentator John Madden, while Gillis plays Vince McGary
Gillis continued to publicly support his new film despite the backlash
He chatted with co-star John Mulaney and fellow comedian Nick Kroll
The comedian, wearing a suit, smiled for photographers on the red carpet
“By the way, I’ve seen more men’s nipples at the gym than I’ve ever seen women showing their bodies off,” said Levy, the son of SCTV icon Eugene Levy.
“But I’m speechless that something like that can exist on live national television. And to be perfectly honest, more men need to be standing up in opposition to this, because it’s complacency that has created the environment in which women are sexually assaulted and it’s a ‘conversation’ as opposed to a crime.”
However, SNL veterans David Spade and Dana Carvey came to Gillis’ defense.
On their podcast Fly on the Wall, Carvey, who was a Saturday Night Live cast member from 1986 to 1993, said the joke was not intended to be interpreted “literally.” He also expressed concern about people moving from disliking a joke to arguing that it “should not be allowed to be said.”
Spade, who appeared on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1996, voiced his frustration with the reaction and suggested that people “just relax.”
Gillis first made headlines in 2019 after being hired to join the SNL cast and then fired when previously recorded podcast clips resurfaced. The politically incorrect material included a joke featuring the ethnic slur “ch**k.”
Because Gillis had been hired in the same season as Bowen Yang, SNL’s first cast member of Asian descent, the comments prompted an especially strong response.
Gillis released a statement describing himself as a “comedian who pushes boundaries” and said he was “offering to apologize to anyone who’s actually offended by anything I’ve said.”
In the years that followed, Gillis rebuilt his career. His 2023 stand-up special reached Netflix’s Top 10 in five countries.