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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteKenan Thompson says he left the stage when he realized Kanye West was preparing to address the audience after Saturday Night Live’s 2018 broadcast. Ego Nwodim recalls staying onstage while trying not to appear to support remarks she disagreed with. Their accounts appear in Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, a documentary about the show’s 50th year.
What happened during Kanye West’s 2018 SNL appearance?
West was the musical guest on the September 29, 2018, premiere of Saturday Night Live’s 44th season, hosted by Adam Driver. He wore a red “Make America Great Again” hat during the appearance.
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After the broadcast’s allotted time ended, West continued speaking to the audience following a performance of “Ghost Town.” Contemporary reports described those remarks as post-broadcast; Chris Rock and producer Mike Dean later shared video snippets. The full speech should not be confused with what aired on NBC.
In the remarks, West criticized media coverage of Donald Trump and alleged that people at SNL had asked him not to wear the hat. That was West’s claim, not independent confirmation of what happened backstage. The Washington Post’s September 30, 2018 account and TVLine’s contemporaneous report distinguish the televised appearance from the remarks that followed.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →What did Kenan Thompson say about the rant?
In Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, Thompson recalled recognizing that West was about to speak when he took the microphone and began moving around. Thompson said: “When he grabbed the mic and was just like, you know, wandering around, you could see he was gearing up to say something. I was like, I’m out.” He left the stage.
Thompson also said it would have been fine if West had stuck to the music, while noting that the hat itself made a statement. Complex’s January 30, 2025 report quotes Thompson’s recollection from the documentary.
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How his earlier account differs
In a Hot 97 interview recapped by BET on December 20, 2019, Thompson said he had initially expected another song or a brief moment, then found the situation uncomfortable quickly: “It became extremely uncomfortable extremely quickly.” He also said he was tired after the long production day. That interview is a separate, earlier account—not the later documentary recollection. BET’s recap provides that context.
Why did Ego Nwodim feel uncomfortable onstage?
Nwodim said she did not want to be onstage because she disagreed with West and worried that her presence could be read as support. As quoted by Complex from the documentary, she recalled: “I was like, I don’t wanna be up here for this because I don’t agree with this and standing up here seems like I’m standing in solidarity.”
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →She described trying to keep a neutral expression, then looking around to see whether other Black performers were present. Her account focuses on the position she felt placed in: remaining visible during remarks she did not endorse, while knowing that an audience could interpret who stood there as a sign of solidarity.
Did Kanye West’s MAGA speech air on SNL?
The political speech described in the contemporary reports continued after the program’s broadcast had ended. Clips circulated afterward, but the available accounts do not establish that the full remarks aired on NBC. West’s musical performances, including “Ghost Town,” were part of the broadcast; the post-show address was a distinct moment.
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Where do these recollections appear?
Thompson and Nwodim’s later recollections are featured in Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, a documentary marking SNL’s 50th year. Complex identified it as streaming on Peacock in its January 2025 coverage. That report establishes the platform identification at that time, not current availability in every country.
Complex also quoted co-head writer Steve Higgins describing the show’s approach to performers speaking: “No one’s stopping anybody from doing anything.” This is Higgins’s characterization, not a formal network policy statement.
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