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SNL's Michael Che blasted for Instagram posts about Simone Biles

"man, I want to make fun of simone biles," one of the since-deleted posts said. The “Weekend Update” host later said he was hacked.
Anchor Michael Che during Weekend Update on Oct. 24, 2020
Anchor Michael Che during Weekend Update on Oct. 24, 2020Will Heath / NBC

"Saturday Night Live" comedian Michael Che sparked backlash after his account posted offensive jokes about gymnast Simone Biles on Instagram.

Biles, 24, has mostly received overwhelming support after she pulled out of the team final and then decided not to compete in the women's individual all-around gymnastics final in an effort to focus on her mental health.

However, screenshots of Che's Instagram stories that were later posted to the BallerAlert Twitter account appear to show the "Weekend Update" host had other ideas.

"man, I want to make fun of simone biles," one post said.

That was followed by this post: "I got like 3 mins of simone biles jokes in my head. im going to the cellar tonight to say them into a microphone. as the dorky kids say, im choosing violence."

Che’s account posted a joke someone had sent to him about Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor and convicted sex offender who is accused of abusing hundreds of girls and women, including Biles.

"Goddamn that's rough, absolutely tasteless 9/10," the post said. The post also gave a racist joke someone sent about Biles an 8 out of 10.

Later, Che wrote in his stories, using the same background, font and format as the original posts: "maaannnn, i got hacked today. cant believe they got me. yall know i only do jokes about whites and cops. s'all good now, i changed my password and everything .. anyway yall hear about dababy tho.. ? Thats crazy .. iight. see yall at church. imma get there early."

Rapper DaBaby faced widespread criticism earlier this week for homophobic comments he made about people living with HIV/AIDS.

It's unclear if Che's "hacked" post was an actual defense or a joke.

Reaction to Che's posts were swift.

"Larry Nassar sexually assaulted over 300 gymnasts including Simone Biles. Jokes about this immense violence are never okay," tweeted gender justice advocate Farrah Kahn.

"Michael Che - and all of these tacky ass clowns who call themselves comedians need to keep Simone's name out their damb mouths," podcaster Carolyn Hinds wrote in a tweet.

Che has since wiped his Instagram page save for a story post showing a piece of cheesecake with a candle in it and a drink captioned, "happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeee."

Managers and publicists for Che did not respond to requests for comment Friday. Representatives for NBC and "SNL," where Che is co-head writer, also did not immediately return requests for comment.

NBCUniversal is the parent company of both NBC and NBC News.

Representatives for HBO Max, which airs Che's sketch comedy series, also did not return requests for comment.

Biles has been widely lauded for her bravery in speaking out about mental health in sports.

Texas deputy attorney general Aaron Reitz was also criticized after calling Biles a "national embarrassment" Tuesday. He later posted an apology on Twitter.

"Simone Biles is a true patriot and one of the greatest gymnasts of all time," he said.