'SNL' nixed Hegseth 'Pulp Fiction' riff as 'too ridiculous,' Jost says

Truth can be stranger than"Pulp Fiction,"says"Saturday Night Live"comedian and writerColin Jost.

During a May 14 interview on"The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon,"Jost told the late-night host how the 'SNL' writers had been discussing possibilities for Hegseth sketches two months ago. "I was like, 'would it be funny if Hegseth just did that Bible verse that they have in "Pulp Fiction"?'" Jost said.

But the writers nixed the idea. "We talked about it and we're like that would be too ridiculous," Jost said. "And then he, for real, did it like two weeks later."

After Jost and Fallon laugh about it, Jost said, "I was like, 'Well, the good news is I'm being surveilled.'"

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Colin Jost says its 'crazy'Pete Hegsethquoted 'Pulp Fiction'

During an April 15 Pentagon worship service,Hegseth recounted a prayerhe said had been told to him by an Air Force rescue operation leader. While Hegseth's prayer echoed scripture, specificallyEzekiel 25:17, part of it appeared to paraphrase a linebetter known for "Pulp Fiction"than from the Bible.

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In the film, Samuel L. Jackson's characterciteda fictionalized Ezekiel 25:17 verse including the phrase, "And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

When Jost heard about the April 15 incident, "it was crazy," he said.

On the May 9 "SNL" episode, Jost's Hegseth bumps into Supreme Court Justice Brett Cavanaugh (Matt Damon) and FBI directorKash Patel(Aziz Ansari) at a bar. "It's very intimidating to have to go out and act next to Matt Damon," he said. "In 'SNL,' you just have to pretend you can hang."

Contributing: Mike Stunson

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him atmikegsnider&@mikegsnider.bsky.social&@mikesnider& msnider@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'SNL' nixed Hegseth 'Pulp Fiction' sketch as 'too ridiculous'

byLiam Oneel

in

May 16, 2026

'SNL' nixed Hegseth 'Pulp Fiction' riff as 'too ridiculous,' Jost says

Truth can be stranger than"Pulp Fiction,"says"Saturday Night Live"comedian and writerColin Jost. During a May...

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NHL docks Golden Knights 2026 draft pick for media policy violations

The NHL reacted swiftly and harshly to the Vegas Golden Knights' "flagrant violations of 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs media regulations," announcing on Friday that the franchise will forfeit a second-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Head Coach John Tortorella did not meet with the media as prescribed by league policy after his squad eliminated the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal series in Anaheim on Thursday night.

Moreover, the locker room remained closed to media.

In addition, Tortorella, who took over head coaching duties from Bruce Cassidy on March 29, has been fined $100,000.

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"The Golden Knights are aware of today's announcement from the NHL regarding the postgame media availability following Game 6 in Anaheim," the team said on social media. "The organization will have no further comment."

The NHL imposed these penalties after previous warnings to the Golden Knights regarding its media regulations and other associated policies. Vegas may appeal these penalties to the Commissioner's Office in person next week in New York.

The Golden Knights will take on the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals, beginning in Denver on Wednesday.

--Field Level Media

byLiam Oneel

in

May 15, 2026

NHL docks Golden Knights 2026 draft pick for media policy violations

The NHL reacted swiftly and harshly to the Vegas Golden Knights' "flagrant violations of 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs media regul...

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Princess Diana turned down“ George ”magazine cover for a pretty good reason, new book claims

Princess Diana turned down appearing on George magazine for a fair reason.

Key Points

• The royal and JFK Jr. met in 1995 to discuss her appearing on the cover of his magazine that married politics and pop culture.

• The Kennedys and the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made hits bookstores on June 2.

Princess Dianahad a fair reason to turn down appearing on the cover ofJohn F. Kennedy Jr.'sGeorgemagazine.

The Kennedys and the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Madeby Caroline Hallemann details a 1995 meeting between Princess Diana and JFK Jr., where he asked her to appear on the political magazine, according to an excerpt published byVanity Fair. The book examines the intertwined histories of two powerful families.

Kennedy's close friend, artist Sasha Chermayeff, posited that he wanted the royal to appear on the cover because "he was trying to capture the intersection of political life and celebrity life in his magazine." Princess Diana was the perfect candidate because she was a combination of those things.

"She was a celebrity, a royal who had a defined role, but she also had a personal and political mission. She had ideas about how she wanted to help the world. She had her own feelings about her service, at least that’s the perspective that I got from her," Chermayeff added.

Initially, the royal was “keen on the idea," according to her private secretary Patrick Jephson.

When Lady Di and JFK Jr. met at the Carlyle Hotel for the meeting, however, "this particular conversation about the cover of George was over before it started," writes Hallemann. The princess had made up her mind to decline any offer to be featured inGeorge, which launched that year.

Halleman writes, "She needed the magazine to be a success before she’d publicly front it — and even with a Kennedy at the helm of the publication, that was hardly a guaranteed prospect."

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“Well, you know, this is all very nice, John. Thank you. But I hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t take up the opportunity this time, but would love to maybe for your fiftieth or your hundredth issue or something,” Princess Diana reportedly said at the time.

JFK Jr. stayed in touch with Lady Di after her initial rejection, asking her other times to be part ofGeorgemagazine. She sent him a letter in February 1997 "regrettably" turning down his ask again, adding a haunting few lines at the end.

“I hope the media are leaving both you and Carolyn alone. I know how difficult it is, but believe it or not, the worst paparazzi are here in Europe!” she wrote of JFK Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette, underlining the word "hope."Princess Diana died six months laterfrom injuries sustained from a car crash in Paris while being pursued by the paparazzi.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

Lady Di wasn't the only royal JFK Jr. pursued to be featured onGeorge. Kennedy also askedthen-Prince Charlesto appear on the magazine in celebration of his 50th birthday. He made the proposal during a 1998 dinner party at Kensington Palace.

While Prince Charles was inGeorgeonce before in 1997, in apicture meeting the Spice Girls, he declined Kennedy's invitation to team up. Society columnist Aileen Mehle said the ask was “graciously met by something that sounded like ‘um, uhm, hum, we’ll see, um, uhm, hum.’ After all these years, [Prince Charles] is an expert at avoiding the pinning-down process.”

The Kennedys and the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Madecomes out on June 2. It is available for preorder wherever books are sold.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byLiam Oneel

in

May 15, 2026

Princess Diana turned down“ George ”magazine cover for a pretty good reason, new book claims

Princess Diana turned down appearing on George magazine for a fair reason. Key Points The royal and JFK Jr. met in...

Read More