John Mulaney Discusses Intervention & Rehab In ‘Saturday Night Live’ Monologue

In his fifth turn hosting Saturday Night Live, John Mulaney referred to his “complicated year” with some hilarious jokes conceived from not so hilarious moments, like his recent intervention and stint in rehab. He joked that he was honored to be at SNL since it was a “place that’s always emphasized sobriety and mental health.”

He didn’t pull any punches or leave any topics off the table in the monologue, immediately diving into a recounting of his intervention, which took place in December 2020. “Do you know how bad of a drug problem you have to have, if when you open a door and see people gathered, your first thought is, ‘This is probably an intervention about my drug problem? There’s no other reason people would be behind a door,'” Mulaney said.

The comedian also talked about his stint in rehab and told a hilarious story about sending a text to break up with his drug dealer, for the dealer to reveal he was just a painter that only sold drugs to Mulaney. “I might be the first drug addict to turn an innocent man into a drug dealer,” he cracked to the crowd.

In his final bit, Mulaney said encouragingly that “life is better and happier now,” after the birth of his son Malcolm with girlfriend Olivia Munn. Malcolm, who is now 12 weeks old, was immediately recognized as a kindred soul by Mulaney when he covered his eyes without crying under bright lights. Mulaney said that act was the epitome of being, “A polite man in an uncomfortable situation, but he’s not gonna make a fuss.”

You can watch the full Monologue below.

Along with this tight monologue from Mulaney, other highlights from the show included a Cold Open which featured the Ukrainian Chorus of New York, some great pre-taped sketches including a dog food commercial parody and a taped bit from SNL‘s new digital sketch group Please Don’t Destroy, and a sketch with a ton of cameos from five-time hosts like Tina Fey, Candace Bergen, Steve Martin, and Elliott Gould.