Inde Navarrette mocks Shane Gillis’s gym‑women joke in SNL debut

The new host referenced Gillis’s October 10 monologue while promoting her upcoming Marvel role.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 01 Nov 2026 11:04:08 GMT

Inde Navarrette opened her first Saturday Night Live hosting gig on the Halloween episode by taking a swipe at fellow cast member Shane Gillis’s recent gym‑women joke, Variety reported.

What happened

During the opening monologue, Navarrette introduced herself as the star of the horror film Obsession and joked about her boyfriend Nick Aiello in the audience. She then referenced Gillis’s October 10 SNL monologue, saying, “Every morning I put on my little whore outfit and I hit the gym,” echoing his description of women’s gym attire. The segment followed a Trump‑centric cold open that featured Tom Hanks returning as David S. Pumpkins.

What the reports add

The Hollywood Reporter noted that Navarrette’s line was a direct callback to Gillis’s “whores” comment and described the audience’s reaction as a pointed dig at the most recent host of the late‑night series.
Variety highlighted that the monologue also served to promote Navarrette’s upcoming role as Rogue in the new X‑Men film and described the visual gag of Aiello bound and gagged in the crowd.
The Hollywood Reporter detailed that Navarrette invited several cast members onstage for Halloween costumes, including Marcello Hernandez as a “sexy TSA agent,” Kam Patterson as Elizabeth Holmes, and Jeremy Culhane, who used the moment to audition for the upcoming X‑Men movie.
Both outlets mentioned Tom Hanks’s surprise appearance as David S. Pumpkins in the cold open, followed by James Austin Johnson’s Trump character and a cameo by Nicki Minaj.

What was said

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m gonna be in a Marvel movie. I know it’s really important for Marvel that you get really fit, so I’ve been working out a lot. So every morning, I put on my little whore outfit, and I hit the gym,”

Navarrette said this, as reported by Variety.

Shane Gillis’s original line on October 10 was, “I haven’t been to the gym in so long, I didn’t know women just dress like whores now… Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe. Have you seen the shorts? They’re those neon, like, artificial vape‑colored shorts…”

His remark was cited by the Hollywood Reporter.

How it came about

Navarrette’s appearance follows a busy media circuit that included the Academy Museum gala and the Newport Beach Film Festival, where she was named one of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch. Her hosting slot was announced after her breakout role in Obsession. The joke she mocked originated from Gillis’s October 10 monologue, which sparked criticism and prompted responses from Dan Levy and Michael Che, as covered in earlier Felo pieces (Felo, Felo).

Key facts

Inde Navarrette hosted SNL’s Halloween episode on November 1, 2026. (variety.com)
She referenced Shane Gillis’s October 10 monologue about women dressing like "whores" at the gym. (hollywoodreporter.com)
Navarrette announced she will play Rogue in the upcoming X‑Men movie. (variety.com)

Timeline

2026-10-10 — Shane Gillis delivered the controversial gym‑women monologue on SNL.
2026-10-19 — Inde Navarrette attended the Academy Museum gala and Newport Beach Film Festival ahead of her SNL hosting.
2026-11-01 — Navarrette hosted SNL and mocked Gillis’s joke.