There have been plenty of "SNL" firings that upset fans of the show, but none as pivotal to the show's history as the late, great Norm Macdonald.

The stand-up comic joined "SNL" in 1993, quickly becoming host of "Weekend Update" and garnering a reputation for his jokes about the O.J. Simpson trial, including his announcement of the not guilty verdict: "It's official: Murder is now legal in the state of California."

Unfortunately, these jokes didn't go over well with NBC West Coast's then-president, Don Ohlmeyer, a personal friend of Simpson.




Just a few years after Adam Sandler and Chris Farley were notably fired from the show, Macdonald was let go over the holiday break of 1997-98, with Michaels having received the call amidst his travels for Farley's funeral.

Macdonald's co-writer and longtime "SNL" veteran Jim Downey was also fired, but thankfully, Macdonald's career remained intact despite alleged attempts by Ohlmeyer to blacklist Macdonald from other shows. In fact, Macdonald went on to host "SNL" a year later in 1999, so who's laughing now?

https://www.tvline.com/2061145/most-controversial-tv-show-exits/