Bowen Yang Denies “Mocking” Chappell Roan In Moo Deng SNL Sketch

Bowen Yang’s latest Saturday Night Live skit parodied the rising fame of Chappell Roan and the viral pygmy hippo, Moo Deng. However, not everyone saw the funny side.

During the SNL Season 50 premiere on Sept. 28, Yang appeared on the Weekend Update segment in character as Moo Deng, joking that their overnight virality has “been overwhelming” and they’ll need to “set some boundaries” with fans.

Yang appeared to be referencing Roan’s recent comments about her struggles with fame, including an Instagram statement the singer posted in August, in which she called out some fans’ “predatory” and “weird” behavior.

After the Saturday Night Live premiere, some fans called out Yang’s portrayal of Roan, claiming the sketch was “mocking” the singer’s experiences with fame. “Bowen Yang, Colin Jost, and the SNL writers should be ashamed of themselves,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “The way Chappell Roan has been treated is absolutely disgusting.”

On Sept. 29, Yang denied making fun of Roan on his Instagram Stories, referring to his recent Interview Magazine sit-down with the singer. “Oh geeez. ‘Mocks’?” he wrote. “If my personal stance and the piece aren’t absolutely clear in terms of supporting her, then there it is, I guess.”

In his statement addressing the backlash, Yang continued, “Everything she has ever asked for has been reasonable, and even then we can connect it to another story about boundaries or whatever. Needing the hose rn.”

Chappell’s Struggle With Fame

As the singer’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, grew in popularity this past year, so did Roan’s notoriety.

In the past few months, the “Hot To Go” hitmaker has gotten candid about the difficulties of newfound fame, including some invasive fan interactions. “I’m not afraid of the consequences for demanding respect,” she wrote on Instagram in August. “Now I have to have security. It’s so lame.”

Roan also recently told The Face that she’d consider quitting the music industry if fame becomes overwhelming. “I told myself, if this ever gets dangerous, I might quit,” she said. “That part is not what I signed up for.”

More recently, Roan canceled two performances at the All Things Go Music Festival on Sept. 27 to “prioritize” her health. “Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it,” she wrote in a statement. “I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible.”