Lorne Michaels Offers Baffling Explanation for Why 'SNL' Wouldn't Touch Harvey Weinstein

Something was missing from this week's episode of "SNL," and it wasn't one of the show's cast members. After the New York Times exposed Harvey Weinstein as a serial sexual abuser, many viewers expected the sketch comedy show to skewer the movie mogul as it has Bill O'Reilly, Roger Ailes and even Donald Trump. Instead, "SNL" ignored the scandal entirely, even on its mock news segment, "Weekend Update."

As the New York Times reported Sunday, the show's writers had prepared jokes aimed at Weinstein, but none made it to air. An anonymous source familiar with the show's rehearsals told the Times that, "there were jokes about Mr. Weinstein in a comedy sketch that was dropped before airtime, and also in its 'Weekend Update' segment. These cuts were made simply because the material seemed to fall flat with the show’s studio audience, the person said." 

A Daily Mail videographer approached the show's creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels at the afterparty and asked him why Weinstein was left out. "It's a New York thing," he responded, conveniently ignoring the fact that Trump, who is regularly mocked on SNL, is also from the city.

Watch the video below: