Rob Schneider says the ‘Saturday Night Live’ set fell “eerily quiet” after Sinéad O’Connor tore up a picture of the Pope on the show.
Rob Schneider says the ‘Saturday Night Live’ set fell ‘eerily quiet’ after Sinéad O’Connor tore up a picture of the Pope on the show
The actor, 59, said that even though he was on set on the night of the infamous 1992 episode he didn’t see the singer rip up the snap, but admitted he noticed a frost atmosphere when he tried to resume sketches after the stunt.
He said on Twitter: “Though I didn’t see it happen. It was an episode where I was very busy (in a lot of sketches) and there are moves that performers have where they know they can get laughs.
“Anyway, I was backstage in quick change (getting dressed for the next sketch) and I didn’t know anything had happened.
“I came out and during the next sketch, I just felt the audience had changed. My usual physical moves that got laughs fell silent. No sketches got laughs after that. And the rest of the night was eerily quiet.”
Rob was an ‘SNL’ writer and cast member from 1988 to 1994 and said despite the backlash against Sinéad in the wake of her stunt he remembers her as “lovely”.
He said it wasn’t until “after the show that I had learned that Sinéad had tore up a picture of the pope”, adding: “I didn’t realise at the time that it would be a big controversy.”
Rob added about partying with the singer at the show’s after party: “She was gentle and lovely and didn’t seem to have a worry about anything. We laughed about a few things trying to understand each other’s accents and had a drink and she could not have been lovelier.
“All these years later you realise that fame and all that it comes with is very destructive to gentle souls. It is my sincere hope that the peace that eluded Sinéad in life she can have now, resting in God’s embrace.”
Sinéad, who was found dead in London on 26 July aged 56, was pelted with eggs, booed during live shows and promptly banned for life by broadcaster NBC for her actions.
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