Why Tom Hanks 'stormed out' of SNL with wife as Trump supporters fume over MAGA joke
Tom Hanks set tongues wagging for multiple reasons during his appearance on Saturday Night Live's 50th Anniversary show at the weekend.
One move made by the Hollywood veteran, 68, left Republicans raging, as he appeared to be poking fun at Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan, while another saw him and wife Rita storming off the set.
But what exactly happened to trigger such a hotly-discussed sequence of events?
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For those out of the loop, a whole host of huge-name stars banded together this weekend (16 Feb) to celebrate five decades of the live comedy series, including Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Jenna Ortega, Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Momoa and Kevin Costner.
Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph resumed their positions as much-loved hosts, whilst several stars joined in on sketches that left viewers at home in stitches - amongst them, Tom Hanks.
One much talked about moment saw Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, also 68, storming suddenly off the set.
In the minutes prior, presenter Jimmy Fallon addressed the crowd before cracking a joke that the three-hour long show would not see any accolades presented.
"Apparently, there’s been some confusion," Fallon jibed.
"This is just a concert. We’re not giving out any awards tonight. So I just want to make sure that everyone knows that."
It was then that father-of-four Hanks could be seen taking his other-half's hand in the audience, before the pair climb out of the seats and head towards the studio's backdoor.
Actress and singer Wilson then wagged her finger at the camera as the two exited the venue, with Fallon, 50, questioning: "Tom? Rita?"
"We lost Tom Hanks and Rita," he added. "Sorry. It wasn’t their fault."
Naturally, viewers were shook, with one writing online: "Wow! Tom Hanks just stormed out of SNL".
"Was that Hanks move scripted?" another asked.
Whilst some viewers initially wondered whether the married couple were really as infuriated as the scene implied, the Mirror have since confirmed that Hanks and Wilson's exit was part of the scripted spoof, being that the couple have a long history with the show.
But a skit that attracted more ire saw Hanks mock Trump voters.
As part of the skit, the actor reprised his Black Jeopardy character, Doug, donning a MAGA baseball cap before refusing to shake hands with Darnell Hayes, who was played by Kenan Thompson.
Hanks' character also mentions starting a show 'for you to come on', which he calls 'White Jeopardy'.
As we say, the joke sparked backlash from a handful of right-wing viewers, slamming Hanks for mocking newly sworn-in president, Trump.
"Tom Hanks went on SNL dressed like a slob mocking millions of Trump supporters..." one hit out.
"Keep it up libs. You'll never win another election again."
Another criticised: "Tom Hanks was just disrespecting every Republican on SNL as he was dressed up as a Trump supporter with a MAGA hat."
Topics: Celebrity, TV And Film, Tom Hanks, US News, Donald Trump, Politics
Rhianna Benson