Martin Short has tested positive for COVID-19 following SNL50: The Anniversary Special. Steve Martin shared the news on February 20, 2025, in an Instagram post that also mentioned Maya Rudolph. Due to the diagnosis, Short and Martin have postponed their upcoming performances in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Durham, North Carolina.
Here’s what we know so far about the situation.
Martin Short contracts COVID after SNL 50, Steve Martin comments
Martin Short tested positive for COVID-19 after attending SNL 50: The Anniversary Special on February 16, 2025.
Steve Martin announced the news on Instagram on February 20, stating that their upcoming shows in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Durham, North Carolina, would be postponed. Martin, 79, shared a backstage photo of Short, 74, kissing Maya Rudolph, who had also tested positive for COVID. “Maya had Covid. Marty has Covid. I wonder why? The SNL 50th Covid curse is real,” Martin wrote.
The postponed performances were originally scheduled for February 22 at the Durham Performing Arts Center and February 23 at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. The new dates are set for October 17 in Knoxville and October 18 in Durham. Martin apologized for the delay, adding, “So sorry for the inconvenience. I think we’ll be funnier then, anyway.” Representatives for Short and Rudolph have not provided further comments.
During the Weekend Update segment on SNL 50, Colin Jost referenced the risks of hosting so many veteran comedians in a small space. “Health experts are facing increased pressure this winter in the face of outbreaks of COVID, the flu, RSV, and nanovirus, which they’re calling a quad-demic,” Jost said. “So we did the smart thing and packed every beloved entertainer over 60 into one tiny space.”
Martin, who has hosted SNL 16 times, opened the anniversary special alongside Short. Though never a cast member, Martin has made frequent appearances on the show. In a 2022 episode, he co-hosted with Short, joking that they had worked together so long that they could “finish each other’s careers.” SNL50: The Anniversary Special is now streaming on Peacock.
