R. Kelly’s recent interview on CBS was the most recent target of Saturday Night Live‘s opening sketch.
In this weekend’s cold open, the singer, played by cast member Kenan Thompson, desperately attempted to portray himself as a victim. His interviewer Gayle King, played by Leslie Jones, was not impressed.
“Thank you for having me. And please, just call me ‘victim,'” Thompson-as-Kelly opened the interview.
“I am not going to do that,” Jones responded.
Thompson’s Kelly also repeatedly broke into song over the course of the SNL sketch, only to be brought back into the moment by his interviewer.
In real life, the R&B singer was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse last month in Chicago. He pleaded “not guilty.”
The SNL sketch questioned the legal benefit of Kelly’s appearance on the network interview.
“I’m here to remove all the doubt,” said Thompson’s Kelly. “My lawyer was telling me ‘no.’ But my ego, my ego was telling me ‘yes.'”
Watch the full SNL cold open here:
- Who Will Be TIME's Person of the Year 2023?
- Why Cell Phone Reception Is Getting Worse
- The Dirty Secrets of Alternative Plastics
- Column: It's Time to Scrap the Abraham Accords
- Israeli Family Celebrates Release of Hostage Grandmother
- In a New Movie, Beyoncé Finds Freedom
- The Top 100 Photos of 2023
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
