Jake Paul did not take the bait. When Olivia Rodrigo used her Saturday Night Live hosting debut on May 2 to skewer her former Disney co-star’s boxing career, Paul responded with warm congratulations rather than a counterpunch — and the exchange briefly made two very different kinds of celebrity fame share the same cultural moment.
Rodrigo, 23, opened her monologue by reflecting on her Disney Channel roots, telling the Studio 8H audience, “When I was 13, I was on a Disney show called Bizaardvark, and we had an incredible cast, which included acting legend Jake Paul.” She then recounted a fictional version of their youthful ambitions: “And we’d always talk about our futures, me and Jake. I’d say, ‘I really wanna create music that explores the complexities of girls my age,’ and he’d say, ‘Well, one day I really wanna beat up old guys on Netflix.'” She closed the gag by noting they had each achieved exactly that, saying, “And we both did it.”
The joke landed as a pointed callback to Paul’s 2024 Netflix bout against Mike Tyson, which drew heavy criticism for targeting an opponent well past his fighting prime. Paul has since suffered his first knockout defeat, losing to Anthony Joshua last December.
Paul responded on X with conspicuous generosity, writing, “We had the vision. I told you that you would sell stadiums out and then we both did. Proud of you fr.” On Instagram, he posted a throwback photo of the two on the Bizaardvark set, captioning it, “Ah the good ole days.” When a follower pointed out that Rodrigo had been laughing at him rather than with him, Paul replied, “I got that she was making a joke at my expense. So what. She’s on SNL and that’s what they are supposed to do. Doesn’t change my admiration of her and her success.”
The episode marked Rodrigo’s first time serving as both host and musical guest. She performed “Drop Dead,” her lead single that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — her fourth chart-topper — with rock legend Debbie Harry of Blondie making a surprise appearance to introduce her. She also debuted an unreleased ballad called “Begged,” performing it seated on a swing that mirrors the cover art for her upcoming record.
Her third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, is scheduled for release on June 12. The SNL appearance served as a high-profile promotional platform ahead of that release, and Rodrigo also worked in a parody of her 2021 breakthrough hit “Drivers License,” this time reimagined as a DMV ordeal over getting a Real ID.
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Bizaardvark ran for three seasons on Disney Channel between 2016 and 2019, giving both Rodrigo and Paul their first significant television exposure. The careers that followed could not have diverged more sharply — one toward Grammy stages, the other toward boxing rings — which is precisely what made the monologue joke land.
