Timothée Chalamet Sparks Outrage with Jimmy Carter Joke on SNL

NEW YORK — Actor Timothée Chalamet faced backlash this weekend after making a joke about the late former President Jimmy Carter during a skit on “Saturday Night Live.” The incident occurred during a segment where Chalamet played a workout instructor leading a bungee fitness class.

In the skit, Chalamet instructed the class to perform the “Jimmy Carter,” prompting participants to pretend to hang lifelessly from their harnesses. The studio audience gasped audibly, and viewers at home quickly took to social media to express their disapproval.

“Very bad taste…. very!” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another user added, “Very unnecessary. Imagine being a writer coming up with that.” Many criticized the joke as insensitive, with one viewer tweeting, “Too soon and not funny! The whole skit was crap.”

Some fans acknowledged the skit’s humor but drew the line at the Carter reference. “Totally disrespectful and out of line,” one person wrote. “I don’t think there would have ever been a right time for that. I hope his family didn’t see that.”

Others questioned the appropriateness of the joke, given Carter’s recent passing. The 39th U.S. president died on Dec. 29, 2024, at the age of 100 after nearly two years in hospice care. His funeral was held at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9, 2025, with former presidents Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton in attendance.

Chalamet, who is nominated for Best Actor at the upcoming Academy Awards for his role in “A Complete Unknown,” also faced criticism for potentially jeopardizing his Oscar chances. “If I were a betting man, I would’ve bet on Timothée Chalamet winning an Oscar for his Dylan portrayal, but his dead Jimmy Carter joke on SNL a full month before voting ends changes that,” one viewer tweeted. “Insensitive & really immature. Just unnecessary.”

Representatives for Chalamet and “SNL” have not yet responded to requests for comment. Carter’s family, including his son Chip Carter, has previously emphasized the former president’s legacy of peace and human rights. “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” Chip said in a statement following Carter’s death.