• The NYPD received a report of a bomb threat in New York City
  • It happened on April 1
  • A 48-year-old man was arrested
30 Rockefeller Plaza
Art Deco 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which hosts Studio 8H, Saturday Night Live, the Rainbow Room and the Top of the Rock observation deck in Midtown Manhattan.

A man has been arrested after he allegedly threatened to bomb the Saturday Night Live studios in New York.

The New York Police Department told People that they received a report of a bomb threat within the Midtown North Precinct at around 7 am local time on Tuesday, 1 April.

Read more: Fans react to Jack Black’s emo SNL parody

According to public records, the following day 48-year-old Michael Branham of Glen Hesd, New York, on charges of making a threat of mass harm and falsely reporting an incident. Court records show that he pleaded not guilty to both charges. His bail is set at $100,000.

Branham allegedly messaged the threat to a Connecticut college and an administrator at that college then informed police. Law enforcement officials have said that

SNL has not commented on the incident.

What’s the connection to Scarlett Johansson?

Scarlett Johansson Jurassic World: Rebirth
Scarlett Johansson Credit: IMAGO/ Future Image

Branham has the exact same name – including his middle name – and age as a man whom Scarlett Johansson accused of stalking her. It is known that a person with the same name has made repeated and continuous posts about her.

She had applied for a restraining order, according to court documents in California, but a judge denied the request on a technicality.

Johannsson is married to Colin Jost, who hosts SNL’s Weekend Update segment. Her representative has declined to comment.

What’s been happening on SNL recently?

Jack Black hosted the last episode of Saturday Night Live, which aired last weekend. Notably, he participated in a viral parody of My Chemical Romance’s Welcome to The Black Parade, which appeared in the ‘Goth Kid on Vacation’ sketch.

Read more: SNL’s Weekend Update broke golden rule live on air

Last weekend’s instalment also made headlines for very different reasons. The audience ended up yelling a swear word during Weekend Update, prompted during a sketch featuring Ego Nwodim.

Nwodim was performing as her alter ego Miss Eggy during a routine about the White House pulling Amber Ruffin as a featured entertainer during its annual correspondents dinner. Earlier, she had done some call-and-response with the audience – “Ms. Eggy don’t what?” to which the audience said: “Play.”

Read more: The biggest moments from the SNL 50 special

Nwodim then said “These men ain’t what?”, to which they shouted back: “S**t!”The censors on Peacock couldn’t do anything about it in time. The comedienne,  co-anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che, were noticeably shocked.

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Emma Wilkes
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