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Amy Poehler says SNL told her 'you have to leave' after she had a baby
Actress and comedian Amy Poehler, who got her start on Saturday Night Live, said in a recent interview that she asked to return to the show after having a baby and was told no because of her baby. It's uncertain at this time whether Poehler's comments were made in jest or in seriousness.
Poehler joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2001.
In 2008, Poehler gave birth to her first child, and left Saturday Night Live the same year.
While it was previously reported that it had been planned for her to leave, Poehler said in a new interview that she wanted to come back after giving birth, and was told no.
After small parts in several movies, Poehler got her break when she was cast on Saturday Night Live (SNL), a long-running improv comedy show. Initially hired as a featured player, she was promoted to full cast member in her first season, an achievement only previously accomplished by Eddie Murphy.
In 2004, she replaced Jimmy Fallon as host of Weekend Update alongside Tina Fey, and the women became two of SNL's biggest stars.
Poehler married actor and comedian Will Arnett in 2003, and in 2008, the two were expecting their first child. It was announced she would be leaving the show, though she appeared in several more episodes after giving birth.
However, in a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Poehler insinuated that she wanted to return, and SNL executives told her no.
"I was pregnant, and I had to have that baby," she said. "But then I came back after I had the baby, and then they were like, 'You gotta get outta here. You gotta go take care of your baby.' And I was like, 'But I wanna stay with you guys.' And they were like, 'Nope, you have to leave.'"
She added, "It's very hard to figure out when it's time to go, 'cause it's... a dream job, but I... was ready to go. To have a regular night's sleep."
There is some speculation as to whether or not Poehler was joking, or was actually barred from returning to SNL after giving birth. What is known, however, is that pregnancy discrimination is a significant issue, both in Hollywood and outside of it.
Poehler's interview quickly went viral, with many expressing shock at her comments:
The interview was also posted on Reddit, where commenters were aghast:
They would never tell a man to get out of there and take care of his baby, for shame
didnt see jost getting told to leave the anchor seat after he and scarjo had a kid
SNL (mostly men), made this decision for her. This was not in her control and she didn’t have a say. A bunch of men told her that she couldn’t balance work and motherhood.
Whoa. Not a good look, SNL. It’s always been a boys club. Tina Fey should replace Lorne when he retires.
Women in Hollywood have long been led to believe they couldn't be mothers and stars at the same time.
Many were pressured or coerced into having abortions for the sake of their careers. Starlets like Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Ava Gardner, and Judy Garland all had abortions, and in many cases, they did so as a result of pressure from film studios.
“[I]t was a common assumption that glamorous stars would not be popular if they had children,” Cari Beauchamp wrote in her book, "Without Lying Down." Their spouses and families were also often complicit. Judy Garland's own mother helped persuade her to abort. And in Hollywood specifically, these abortions were often used to help cover up sexual assault by studio executives and power players.
Today, celebrity women are still pressured to have abortions:
R&B singer Keke Wyatt said studio executives pressured her to get an abortion, but she refused.
Kaya Jones, previously a member of the Pussycat Dolls, said she was told to have an abortion when she got pregnant.
Cheryl “Salt” James, of the hip-hop duo Salt 'n Pepa, likewise was pressured to have an abortion, though she refused.
Actress Joan Collins had an abortion because she said a baby would have been the death of her career.
Outside of Hollywood, women are still often coerced into having abortions by their partners and family members; still others, however, are pressured by institutions, like schools and employers.
High school and college students are frequently led to believe their only choices are to either drop out of school or have abortions.
In the workplace, women have said they have been discriminated against while pregnant in hiring, firing, and promotions. This includes, but is not limited to, companies like UPS, Google, Nike, and Planned Parenthood.
Whatever the circumstances of Poehler's SNL departure, pregnancy discrimination is a real and ongoing problem.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
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·Amy Poehler says SNL told her 'you have to leave' after she had a baby
Actress and comedian Amy Poehler, who got her start on Saturday Night Live, said in a recent interview that she asked to return to the show after having a baby and was told no because of her baby. It's uncertain at this time whether Poehler's comments were made in jest or in seriousness.
Poehler joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2001.
In 2008, Poehler gave birth to her first child, and left Saturday Night Live the same year.
While it was previously reported that it had been planned for her to leave, Poehler said in a new interview that she wanted to come back after giving birth, and was told no.
After small parts in several movies, Poehler got her break when she was cast on Saturday Night Live (SNL), a long-running improv comedy show. Initially hired as a featured player, she was promoted to full cast member in her first season, an achievement only previously accomplished by Eddie Murphy.
In 2004, she replaced Jimmy Fallon as host of Weekend Update alongside Tina Fey, and the women became two of SNL's biggest stars.
Poehler married actor and comedian Will Arnett in 2003, and in 2008, the two were expecting their first child. It was announced she would be leaving the show, though she appeared in several more episodes after giving birth.
However, in a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Poehler insinuated that she wanted to return, and SNL executives told her no.
"I was pregnant, and I had to have that baby," she said. "But then I came back after I had the baby, and then they were like, 'You gotta get outta here. You gotta go take care of your baby.' And I was like, 'But I wanna stay with you guys.' And they were like, 'Nope, you have to leave.'"
She added, "It's very hard to figure out when it's time to go, 'cause it's... a dream job, but I... was ready to go. To have a regular night's sleep."
There is some speculation as to whether or not Poehler was joking, or was actually barred from returning to SNL after giving birth. What is known, however, is that pregnancy discrimination is a significant issue, both in Hollywood and outside of it.
Poehler's interview quickly went viral, with many expressing shock at her comments:
The interview was also posted on Reddit, where commenters were aghast:
They would never tell a man to get out of there and take care of his baby, for shame
didnt see jost getting told to leave the anchor seat after he and scarjo had a kid
SNL (mostly men), made this decision for her. This was not in her control and she didn’t have a say. A bunch of men told her that she couldn’t balance work and motherhood.
Whoa. Not a good look, SNL. It’s always been a boys club. Tina Fey should replace Lorne when he retires.
Women in Hollywood have long been led to believe they couldn't be mothers and stars at the same time.
Many were pressured or coerced into having abortions for the sake of their careers. Starlets like Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Ava Gardner, and Judy Garland all had abortions, and in many cases, they did so as a result of pressure from film studios.
“[I]t was a common assumption that glamorous stars would not be popular if they had children,” Cari Beauchamp wrote in her book, "Without Lying Down." Their spouses and families were also often complicit. Judy Garland's own mother helped persuade her to abort. And in Hollywood specifically, these abortions were often used to help cover up sexual assault by studio executives and power players.
Today, celebrity women are still pressured to have abortions:
R&B singer Keke Wyatt said studio executives pressured her to get an abortion, but she refused.
Kaya Jones, previously a member of the Pussycat Dolls, said she was told to have an abortion when she got pregnant.
Cheryl “Salt” James, of the hip-hop duo Salt 'n Pepa, likewise was pressured to have an abortion, though she refused.
Actress Joan Collins had an abortion because she said a baby would have been the death of her career.
Outside of Hollywood, women are still often coerced into having abortions by their partners and family members; still others, however, are pressured by institutions, like schools and employers.
High school and college students are frequently led to believe their only choices are to either drop out of school or have abortions.
In the workplace, women have said they have been discriminated against while pregnant in hiring, firing, and promotions. This includes, but is not limited to, companies like UPS, Google, Nike, and Planned Parenthood.
Whatever the circumstances of Poehler's SNL departure, pregnancy discrimination is a real and ongoing problem.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Bridget Sielicki
·Pop Culture
Nancy Flanders
·Pop Culture
Cassy Cooke
·Pop Culture
Nancy Flanders
·Pop Culture
Nancy Flanders
·Pop Culture
Nancy Flanders
·International
Cassy Cooke
·Investigative
Cassy Cooke
·Human Rights
Cassy Cooke
·Analysis
Cassy Cooke
·Politics
Cassy Cooke
·Amy Poehler says parenthood cost her dream job. SNL kicked her out after she had her baby. Interviewer: “How’d you know when it was time to leave SNL?” Amy Poehler: “I was pregnant, and I had to have that baby. But then I came back after I had the baby, and then they were like, Show more
Amy Poehler says SNL told her to go home and take care of her baby, even though she wanted to stay. By 2008 she was at the top of the show. She'd been a cast member since 2001, a Weekend Update co-anchor since 2004, and she played Hillary Clinton through the 2008 election while Show more
Amy Poehler says parenthood cost her dream job. SNL kicked her out after she had her baby. Interviewer: “How’d you know when it was time to leave SNL?” Amy Poehler: “I was pregnant, and I had to have that baby. But then I came back after I had the baby, and then they were like,
