Benedict Cumberbatch and 'SNL' Cast Members Rock T-Shirts Supporting Roe V. Wade

The 'SNL' host and a number of the show's stars took a political stand during the show's closing moments.

Astrong Astrong
May 8, 2022 - 21:04
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Benedict Cumberbatch and 'SNL' Cast Members Rock T-Shirts Supporting Roe V. Wade

Benedict Cumberbatch and a number of Saturday Night Live stars took a political stand during the closing moments of the new episode over the weekend.

As the host of this week's SNL, Cumberbatch led the goodnights with the cast and musical guests, Arcade Fire, on stage.

However, the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star took a quiet stand against the ongoing political controversy surrounding the leaked Supreme Court decision draft that threatens to overturn Roe V. Wade and put women's abortion and reproductive rights at risk.

Cumberbatch and cast members Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Chris Redd and Cecily Strong all rocked white T-shirts with 1973 written across the front in blue and red. The number is significant as the year of the Roe v. Wade decision, which was passed down on Jan. 22, 1973.

Many fans took notice and took to Twitter to share their support for the protest statement.

Benedict Cumberbatch did absolutely amazing tonight hosting again. He killed it with every skit. Hope to see him host again another time🙌🏽👏🏽❤️#SNLpic.twitter.com/fVt7Hpfq69

— 𝙶𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✨🖤//SAW M.O.M. 2x (@giselleb1234) May 8, 2022

Benedict Cumberbatch & some SNL cast members wearing shirts with the year 1973 on them which is when Roe v. Wade was made law pic.twitter.com/ojnEyqoTyP

— ᴾʳᵒᵒᶠ 💜 | 엑소 (@AnnetteReid247) May 8, 2022

1973, bitches. #SNL—and Benedict Cumberbatch and Arcade Fire—stands in solidarity with #RoeVWade. pic.twitter.com/l4gOCPV3ra

— Garin Pirnia (@gpirnia) May 8, 2022

Absolutely loved seeing the cast of @nbcsnl & Benedict Cumberbatch don 1973 t-shirts in support of Roe V. Wade!

— kari-wan kenobi. (@kariellex) May 8, 2022

Win Butler: “A woman’s right to choose. Forever and ever, amen.” #SNL#ArcadeFire#BenedictCumberbatch#roevwade1973pic.twitter.com/aprHf0vm6d

— Maius Kattius (@katsterevin) May 8, 2022

Cumberbatch also appeared in the episode's "Cold Open" sketch -- which is rare for the night's host to be a part of -- mocking Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's draft decision which cites 13th century English law as part of its reasoning.

The sketch was set in 1200s England -- a time when educated women were seen as witches and apparently when doors hadn't yet been invented -- as Cumberbatch and some other male lawmakers used outdated logic and bad science to invent laws that would then influence politics almost 1000 years later.

Saturday Night Live airs live, coast-to-coast, at 11:30pm ET, 8:30pm PT, on NBC.

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