Lorne Michaels Banned Chris Farley from SNL Amid Addiction Issues

Following the 1982 overdose death of John Belushi, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels adopted a stricter, more hands-on approach to managing cast members' substance abuse issues. When Chris Farley joined SNL and exhibited clear addiction problems, Michaels would reportedly ban him from the show for weeks at a time and send him to 'tough love' rehab facilities in an effort to intervene. Michaels believed that removing Farley from the show, which he loved deeply, might motivate him to seek recovery. Despite these interventions—including personal talks and repeated suspensions—Farley continued to struggle with addiction throughout his tenure at SNL. Ultimately, Farley died of a drug overdose in 1997, echoing the tragedy Michaels had tried to prevent. This shift in Michaels' management style reflected his belief that the SNL cast had to look out for one another, moving away from his previous hands-off philosophy.