Steve Martin says that Martin Short got COVID-19 after appearing on Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special.
Martin, 79, took to Instagram to share that both Maya Rudolph and Short have contracted COVID-19, jokingly attributing it to the “SNL 50th Covid curse.” He posted a photo of the two friends sharing a friendly kiss backstage at the “SNL 50: The Anniversary Special” in New York on February 16.
Due to Short’s illness, Martin announced the postponement of their upcoming shows on the “Dukes of Funnytown Tour” in Durham, North Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee, scheduled for the following weekend.
The rescheduled dates for the sold-out shows are now set for October 17 in Knoxville and October 18 in Durham. Martin expressed regret for any inconvenience caused and quipped that they might even be funnier by then.
The Only Murders in the Building duo were among the A-list stars who attended Sunday’s SNL anniversary special. Other stars included Meryl Streep, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
During the Weekend Update segment of the show, SNL regular Colin Jost joked about a health scare potentially plaguing the special.
“Health experts are facing increased pressure this winter in the face of outbreaks of COVID, the flu, RSV and norovirus, which they’re calling a quad-demic. So we did the smart thing and packed every beloved entertainer over 60 into one tiny space,” Jost quipped.
As well as attending the 50th anniversary special, Short and Streep were also at the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert on Friday, February 14, where they sat beside comedian Amy Schumer.
“There’s really no one funnier to sit next to than Marty Short, who I got to sit next to at the homecoming concert the other night,” Schumer, 43, told People.
“I think that the tea is, I think Marty might be off the market. That’s what I’m seeing. I don’t know,” Schumer added, referring to the rumored romance between Short and Streep.
While Schumer did not name the person who’s seemingly stolen Short’s heart, she teased, “Maybe by just like the greatest actor of our time, I don’t know.”
Schumer also gushed that sitting beside Short and Streep, 75, on Friday “was a very fun seat to be seated in.”
