Martin Short Tests Positive for COVID After SNL50; Steve Martin Jokes About 'COVID Curse'

Martin Short tests positive for COVID after the SNL 50 special; Steve Martin confirms they require tour rescheduling. Find the details inside.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Feb 21, 2025 | 01:49 PM IST | 13.4K

Youtube / Saturday Night Live

Martin Short recently tested positive for COVID-19 after recording the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special, requiring the rescheduling of his tours. Steve Martin, Short's long-time comedy collaborator, announced on Thursday, February 20, that Short and fellow SNL cast member Maya Rudolph had indeed come down with the virus.

Martin revealed the new tour dates accompanied by a picture of Short and Rudolph enjoying a warm moment and a kiss backstage at SNL50, where both were among the numerous A-list celebs and alums who came back for the milestone show. The February 16th anniversary special drew 14.8 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.

He wrote on Instagram, "Maya had Covid. Marty has Covid. I wonder why? The SNL 50th Covid curse is real. Unfortunately, we have to reschedule our sold out Durham and Knoxville dates to 10/17 Knoxville and 10/18 Durham."

"So sorry for the inconvenience. I think we’ll be funnier then, anyway," he added.

Speaking of the 'COVID curse', in the Weekend Update segment of the show, co-host Colin Jost joked about the medical danger of having so many seasoned comedians in one area. He referenced how there have been growing cases of COVID-19, RSV, and norovirus, joking that having entertainment legends older than 60 in proximity to each other may not have been the best decision.

Jost joked, "Health experts are facing increased pressure, this winter in the face of outbreaks of COVID, the flu, RSV, and norovirus, which they're calling a quad-demic. So we did the smart thing and packed every beloved entertainer over 60 into one tiny space."

Martin, 79, hosted the opening monologue of the special, his latest appearance, having previously hosted 16 times in his extensive history with Saturday Night Live. Short, 74, was a one-season cast member from 1984 to 1985 but has continued to be a regular contributor.

Meanwhile, Steve Martin and Martin Short consequently have canceled their next The Dukes of Funnytown! tour dates in Knoxville, and Durham. The re-scheduled shows are to take place on October 17 and October 18 in both places respectively.