Bowen Yang addresses rumoured 2019 ‘SNL’ beef with Shane Gillis

Bowen Yang is addressing the ongoing conversation around Shane Gillis’ departure from Saturday Night Live and the beef between them, saying the two comedians have more in common than people might think. 

Speaking on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, the 5-time Emmy nominee said Gillis is a “funny guy” and explained that despite the headlines, there has always been “mutual respect” between them.

Yang reflected on the way both he and Gillis were portrayed in the media following Gillis’ removal from the NBC show back in 2019. 

“Both of us have had to navigate being used,” Yang said. 

“I think there was like a recruitment going on either side of like, ‘If you like this guy, then this is what you stand for, and if you like this guy, then this is what you stand for.’ And I think both of us are probably a little more dimensional than that.”

Gillis had been announced as a featured cast member that year alongside Yang and Chloe Fineman, but was dropped shortly after when old clips resurfaced of him making offensive jokes about Chinese and gay people. 

While none of the remarks mentioned Yang directly, speculation quickly tied the two together. 

Yang shared that he and Gillis spoke privately at the time and found common ground in feeling like they were being turned into symbols rather than seen as individuals. 

He has also repeatedly denied claims that he played any role in Gillis’ firing.

The decision to cut Gillis, according to creator Lorne Michaels, came from NBC leadership. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal last year, Michaels said, “That was very strong from the people in charge. And obviously I was not on that side, but I understood it.”

Since then, Gillis has rebuilt his career and even returned to Studio 8H as host, taking the stage twice, first in February 2024 and again this past March.

For Yang, the controversy continues to be more about the narratives others created than his relationship with Gillis. 

His comments suggest both men have tried to move forward without letting themselves be defined by the culture war that once pitted them against each other.