Claudine Longet
Claudine Longet never appeared on Saturday Night Live, but she is at the center of one of the show’s biggest disputes. She reportedly shot and killed skier Vladimir “Spider” Sabich in 1976. Several weeks after the murder, SNL broadcast a spoof titled “The Claudine Longet Invitational” that featured stock footage of fallen skiers overdubbed with gunfire. Longet’s lawyer issued a cease-and-desist letter, the show issued a public apology, and the sketch was pulled.
Claudine Longet
Fred Armisen
Many people chastised cast member Fred Armisen in the early 2010s for impersonating New York’s legally blind then-governor David Paterson. The impersonation frequently included Armisen meandering into and out of frame, prompting viewers to criticize the show for insulting the disabled. Paterson participated in a sketch with Armisen on the show in 2010.
Fred Armisen
