January 27, 2025: Timothée Chalamet’s recent appearance on Saturday Night Live has stirred controversy after a joke about the late US President Jimmy Carter during a workout sketch.
The 29-year-old actor, playing a bungee instructor named Nathaniel Latrine, led a workout session that took an awkward turn when he shouted “Jimmy Carter!” This caused Chalamet and his co-stars to collapse, seemingly making light of Carter’s recent death. The audience’s reaction was one of discomfort, and viewers quickly took to social media to express their disapproval, calling the joke disrespectful and in poor taste, especially so soon after the former president’s passing on December 29, 2024.
While the sketch itself had some funny moments, the Carter joke overshadowed much of the rest of the performance. Critics voiced their disappointment, with some even expressing concern that Carter’s family might have seen the remark. The backlash has brought attention to the timing and appropriateness of the joke, given the former president’s passing at the age of 100 after a long period in hospice care.
After the show, Chalamet continued to draw attention by attending an afterparty with his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, but the controversy surrounding the Jimmy Carter joke continues to dominate discussions about his appearance on the show.