SNL Audience Laughs at Colin Jost as Punchline in Cornell Rape Scandal Joke

Saturday Night Live's audience responded with laughter to a joke addressing the sexual assault allegations at Cornell University, with co-host Colin Jost becoming the target of the humor. The segment, part of the popular "Weekend Update" news parody, aired during the show's most recent episode.

Michael Che, Jost's co-host, introduced the topic by referencing a lawsuit filed by a woman, identified as Jane Doe, who accused seven students of gang-raping her at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. Doe's lawsuit claims she was given alcohol, pressured to take ketamine, and sexually assaulted over several hours.

Che began the segment by stating, "Of course, one of the big stories in the news this week is the sexual assault case at Cornell, and obviously we don't want to make light of anything that happened." He then shifted the focus, saying, "But it is a good time to talk about men holding other men accountable. And look, we all have that one friend that seems like a nice guy." As Che spoke, the camera cut to Jost, who appeared to be looking down at his desk, feigning unawareness, which elicited laughter from the audience.

Che continued, implying that even if one cannot prove wrongdoing, "you could just look at him and tell those weird privileged Ivy League types always got some messed up stuff going on." Jost reacted with a smile, asking, "What? No, stop cutting to me." Che responded sarcastically, "Alright, don't wanna help women. Cool."

The audience's reaction was one of amusement, with repeated laughter whenever Jost was shown on screen. However, reactions from viewers online were divided. Some found the humor effective and in character for "Weekend Update," while others expressed offense, deeming the subject matter inappropriate for jokes.

On platforms like YouTube, commenters noted Che's consistent jabs at Jost and the dynamic between the two hosts. Conversely, posts on X (formerly Twitter) reflected more criticism, with some users finding the joke offensive given the seriousness of the allegations and questioning the writing or intent behind it.