The very real Harvey Epstein approves of John Mulaney's memorable city council sketch from the latest episode of Saturday Night Live.
Ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election, the show aired a faux political ad for what some viewers had presumed to be a fictional politician running for city council — the gag being that the poor guy has the same first name as convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein and last name as the late Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sex-trafficking and other crimes.
Harvey Epstein — a very real Democratic assembly member of New York State's 74th district who is in fact running for city council — has since responded to the sketch, which has come as a shock to the viewers who did not realize that a real Harvey Epstein exists. Not only does he exist, he's also being a good sport about it.
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"I think it went over very well, and I’m glad we can all make fun of ourselves in a way . . . to bring joy to the world," Epstein told local magazine City & State New York. Though it was "a little freaky" to see himself played by Mulaney (bald cap and all) on screen, Epstein said he found the sketch funny overall. Of course, it's also "really critical that I take the joy out of the joke and also be serious about issues of domestic violence,” he added, calling Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein “two horrible human beings.”
Should Lorne Michaels and co. require his services for a follow-up sketch, “I totally would do that,” said Epstein.
NBC; Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty
In the sketch, Mulaney's Harvey Epstein struggles to convince voters that he is neither Harvey Weinstein or Jeffrey Epstein. "Is my name ideal? Of course not. I share names with two of the most notorious sex perverts of all time. You think I don't know that?" says the host. Elsewhere, a voiceover ends the sketch with, "Harvey Epstein for city council, because together we can make this city Epstein's island."
"Let's not call it that maybe," says Mulaney's Harvey Epstein, distancing himself from Jeffrey Epstein's private island that was at the center of his alleged sex-trafficking ring.
The real Harvey Epstein also shared a response to the sketch on social media, agreeing with Mulaney to "not call it Epstein's island."
