Kenan Thompson explains Samuel L. Jackson isn't banned from 'SNL' in Jimmy Fallon appearance

The incident was sparked by, what else, a Jackson F-bomb.
 By 
Tim Marcin
 on 
kenan thompson on fallon
Watch Next

During a guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Kenan Thompson, longtime Saturday Night Live cast member, cleared the air about a somewhat strange and public beef with Samuel L. Jackson. The actor had claimed he was banned from SNL and seemingly blamed Thompson for it. But the SNL vet refuted the idea and explained what happened on Fallon.

"Hey, Sam? It's all good, bro," Thompson said, looking directly at the camera. "You're welcome any time, from what I've been hearing."

Jackson had said he believed he got the permanent boot after he accidentally dropped an F-bomb on the live show back in 2012. Jackson said Thompson was supposed to cut him off before the curse word but didn't do it in time. Thompson said on Fallon that is must've been a miscommunication. The SNL vet explained that the cue card only had "F" written on it, not the full curse word. But Jackson apparently went for the whole thing.

"He did it twice!" Thompson said. "When he did it the first time, I was processing like 'Oh, snap!' ... We kind of expect the F-word out of Sam Jackson, no harm done. Then he doubled down and said it again. And I was like, 'Yo, my man, we got to pay for those.'"

Thompson closed the story by reiterating that Jackson is welcome any time. Hopefully that clears the air.

Topics SNL

close-up of man's face
Tim Marcin
Associate Editor, Culture

Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).


Latest Videos

Stephen Colbert reacts to the Artemis II moon mission
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, gesturing.


'The Daily Show' reacts to judge halting Trump's White House ballroom
Desi Lydic presents "The Daily Show" beside an image of Donald Trump.


A24's 'Mother Mary' trailer is worth it for the FKA twigs track
Anne Hathway is dressed in a red pop star outfit with religious overtones in a film still from "Mother Mary."

Jon Stewart has a brutal reaction to Trump waffling about pens
A man in a suit sitting behind a talk show desk looks angry. In the top left is an image of the president holding up a pen.

Stephen Colbert gleefully recaps the best signs at the 'No Kings' protest
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, smiling. The caption at the bottom reads, "I like that one."

Riz Ahmed is troublingly intense in new 'SNL UK' promo
A close-up of a man grinning in a slightly creepy way.


The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!