Just as the Epstein files have been a regular part of Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update,” SNL has found its way into the actual files.
Buried amid the millions of pages released in the ongoing document dump are several instances of Jeffrey Epstein and his acquaintances commenting on SNL’s takes on Trump, #MeToo, and Epstein himself.
Back in November, the United States Congress approved—and President Trump signed—the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which dictated the release of all of the Justice Department’s documents by Dec. 19. After an initial release of thousands of documents, the DOJ was required to explain which documents were withheld and why, within 15 days, creating a new deadline of January 3, 2026.
Another three million pages were released on January 30, but millions more pages remain confidential.
Below are some of the ways that SNL content and creatives are mentioned in the files released thus far:
In 2016, the day after SNL aired a Cold Open in which President Donald Trump (then played by Alec Baldwin) was visited by Rex Tillerson (John Goodman) and Vladimir Putin (Beck Bennett), Epstein appears to have emailed a Variety article about the sketch to billionaire Tom Pritzker.
The morning after a January 2018 SNL episode in which Fred Armisen portrayed Michael Wolff—who had just authored his Trump tell-all Fire and Fury—Epstein fired off an email to the real Wolff with his review. (“SNL was great,” he wrote.)
Later that month, Epstein was on the receiving end of an email purportedly sent from Soon-Yi Previn, the wife of Woody Allen, featuring a Deadline article highlighting the sketch “Next: For Men.” The commercial parody touted an anti-perspirant for men “who are feeling the heat” over being outed by the #MeToo movement.
“Did u c this? It’s quite funny,” the sender wrote in the subject line.
“Fun,” Epstein replied the next morning.
In April of that year, another Trump-related Cold Open piqued Epstein’s interest. Epstein shared with his reported legal advisor, Kathy Ruemmler, a link to the New York Times’ coverage of the SNL sketch “Meet the Parents Cold Open.” The sketch depicted Michael Cohen (Ben Stiller) being questioned by Robert Mueller (Robert De Niro) à la the titular 2000 film comedy that starred the two SNL guests.
“So good,” Ruemmler replied.
As far back as 2009, a redacted sender shared with Epstein a Hulu link to SNL’s infamous “Schweddy Balls” sketch. “Thinking of you,” wrote the unknown sender.
A 2018 email purportedly from Epstein’s accountant, Richard Kahn, flagged for the disgraced financier an SNL sketch. “Not sure if you watched but very funny,” he wrote alongside a link to “It’s A Wonderful Trump Cold Open.” The It’s A Wonderful Life parody explored the fates of Mueller (De Niro), Cohen (Ben Stiller), and Brett Kavanaugh (Matt Damon) in an alternate reality in which Trump never became president.
In another email from 2010, Epstein was sent two YouTube links described as SNL sketches from a redacted sender—though at least one of those links directs to an In Living Color bit, “Buffed, Beautiful, and B*tchin’.”
Curiously, one heavily redacted 2021 email about an SNL sketch appears to have been sent by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to several individuals. The missive, whose email signature implies the sender was from the “U.S. Attorney’s Office, SDNY,” links to Jason Sudeikis’ portrayal of “The Devil” on that weekend’s “Weekend Update.”
“ICYMI: the devil, the prince, and Jeffrey Epstein,” the email reads. In the sketch, Sudeikis’ “Devil” displays a photo of himself, Prince Andrew, and Epstein.
SNL and its associated figures also make several other cameos in the files, largely in passing.
For example, in a lengthy professional bio, UCLA neurology and music professor Mark Tramo boasts that one of his songs was “sent to Lorne Michaels for Andy Samberg and Lonely Island to do, but Samberg left SNL, LI broke up.” And one unknown sender emailed Epstein that attorney Andrew Weissmann was “known in the EDNY as ‘The Pathological liar’ after the SNL character” (played by Jon Lovitz).
