Former Saturday Night Live cast member Leslie Jones has voiced strong criticism about her experience working with director Dave McCary, who is married to Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone, during her time on the sketch comedy show.
In a podcast apperance, Jones recounted tensions that arose while filming a wedding-themed sketch with cast member Kyle Mooney. According to Jones, McCary, who was directing the segment, displayed concerning behavior and made inappropriate comments during an extended late-night shoot.
“First of all, the guy who directed those was a f****** a******. And I don’t give a f*** if you see this. You was a f***—you still are probably a f****** dhead. A f*** narcissistic d***head.”
Jones denied anything inapropriate happened:
“No, he was just a f****** a******. Like, he was just one of those white boys who thought he was doing f****** Shakespeare. No, this is a f**** sketch. You’re not funny, and you’re not creating nothing beautiful. You’re just being an a****** with this tedious f*** s***.** It was just little s*** like that.”
“And then he just—I can’t explain it. It’s like, there’s a way a person can look at you, and you’re just like, Yeah, I know you’re calling me a n**. I know you’re calling me a n****.**”
“Because he was a Mormon too..”
When Jones expressed her desire to leave the set, she claims McCary confronted her inappropriately, questioning “what makes you so special?” The situation escalated into a heated verbal exchange, with fellow comedian Tiffany Haddish coming to Jones’ defense.
The revelation has sparked discussions about workplace culture at SNL, particularly regarding treatment of performers of color. Several entertainment industry observers have noted this adds to ongoing conversations about systemic issues within the long-running NBC show.
McCary served as a segment director on SNL from 2013 to 2017 has not yet responded to the viral story. The director is best known for his work on various SNL digital shorts and later married actress Emma Stone in 2020.
Jones, who was a cast member on SNL from 2014 to 2019, has been increasingly open about her experiences at the show since her departure. She currently continues her work in comedy through stand-up performances and various television projects.
A former capoeira instructor turned biohacking enthusiast, Gio spent his early years bouncing between São Paulo and Miami before settling in Austin. With a master’s in sports physiology and a penchant for experimenting with traditional Brazilian herbs, he’s become Rude Vulture’s go-to expert on movement optimization and plant-based performance enhancement. When not writing about the intersection of martial arts and ancestral living, he runs an underground fight gym where participants are required to follow strict circadian rhythm protocols.