Over the years, Saturday Night Live has seen its fair share of controversial hosts, but few have left as negative an impression on the cast and crew as Paris Hilton. 

The reality star and socialite, who hosted the show in 2005, remains one of the most criticized guest hosts in SNL history. 

Stories from former cast members and writers paint a picture of a difficult week, with Hilton’s refusal to participate in certain sketches and a general disinterest in engaging with the cast.

Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph Recall Hilton’s SNL Appearance

Tina Fey, who was the head writer at the time, did not hold back when discussing Hilton’s behavior during her SNL stint. 

In an interview with The Howard Stern Show, Fey was blunt in her assessment, calling Hilton “a piece of s***” and criticizing her attitude. 

“People thought, ‘Ah, maybe she’ll be fun. You know, she won’t take herself too seriously.’ But she took herself super seriously,” Fey recalled.

Fey went on to describe Hilton as someone who prided herself on her lack of intelligence. “She’s so dumb, and she’s so proud of how dumb she is,” she remarked.

Maya Rudolph, who was also part of the SNL cast at the time, shared a similar sentiment on Late Night with Seth Meyers. According to Rudolph, Hilton showed little interest in forming any connections with the cast. “No one could really get Paris Hilton, our host, to engage in any personal conversations,” she remembered. The situation was so extreme that a bet was made to see if she would ask anyone a personal question. “Seth [Meyers] said, ‘The first person she asks a personal question, I’ll give a hundred bucks,’” Rudolph revealed. No one ended up winning the bet.

The Sketch Hilton Refused to Perform

One of the biggest sticking points during Hilton’s SNL experience was a sketch written by longtime SNL writer Jim Downey. According to Fey, the script was “really funny,” but Hilton outright refused to do it. She reportedly locked herself in her dressing room and refused to come out, making it clear she had no interest in participating.

Recently, the contents of that abandoned sketch were revealed in Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, a biography of SNL creator Lorne Michaels. The cold open would have poked fun at both Hilton’s public image and SNL’s own willingness to book controversial figures for ratings.

The sketch would have opened with Michaels confronting Hilton with a VHS tape, dramatically revealing that he had just discovered her infamous sex tape. “I just looked at it, and frankly, I’m still reeling,” Michaels would have said. “It’s a sex tape, Paris. A sex tape, and you’re in it! Don’t bother to deny it, I know it’s you. I’ve watched it eight times, just to make sure.”

Hilton’s character would have reacted with disbelief, questioning how Michaels had never heard of the tape. The joke was a clear jab at both Hilton’s scandalous past and SNL’s own awareness of her notoriety when booking her.

Michaels would then dramatically point to a plaque on the wall displaying the Latin phrase Praeter Lucrum, Honor. When asked if she knew what it meant, Hilton would confidently reply, “Of course. ‘Honor before profit.’” The irony of the statement would have been a key comedic moment.

Michaels’ character would go on to deliver a speech about SNL’s history, claiming that allowing Hilton to host would suggest that the show was trying to exploit her fame for ratings. “If I were to let you walk out on that stage tonight, it might somehow create the impression, however erroneous, that the show was attempting, even if only in a slight way, to trade on, or exploit, or profit from, or milk, or cash in on the notoriety of that tape,” he would have said. “And if even only one person thought that, it would destroy everything this show has stood for.”

The punchline of the sketch, however, was not aimed at Hilton but rather at Michaels himself. As Hilton would have exited, an assistant would have entered to inform Michaels that his next guest had arrived. The visitor? None other than Joey Buttafuoco, the tabloid mainstay known for his involvement in one of the biggest scandals of the early 1990s.

“Buttafuoco’s here,” the assistant would have said.

Michaels, completely unfazed, would have responded enthusiastically: “Joey, thanks for filling in. You’re a lifesaver!”

Buttafuoco’s response? “Hey! Fuggetaboutit. Lorne’s got a problem, Joey Buttafuoco’s got his back.”

A Missed Opportunity for Satire

While the sketch was intended to satirize both Hilton’s scandalous image and SNL’s own questionable booking choices, Hilton ultimately refused to go through with it. Though her decision was likely driven by a desire to avoid further scrutiny of her past, the sketch’s primary target was actually Michaels and the show’s shifting standards.

Hilton’s time on SNL remains one of the show’s most infamous hosting stints, remembered more for the behind-the-scenes drama than for anything that actually aired. The accounts from Fey, Rudolph, and others suggest that she was one of the least engaged hosts the show has ever had, which only added to the difficulties of the week.

While SNL has had its fair share of controversial hosts over the years, Hilton’s episode stands out as one of the most contentious. Whether it was her unwillingness to interact with the cast, her rejection of the satire, or her perceived attitude, it’s clear that her time on the show left a lasting—and largely negative—impression.

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