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Justin Timberlake Reveals Beyoncé Was ‘Very Hesitant’ About Iconic SNL ‘Single Ladies’ Sketch
Feb
Beyoncé almost didn’t let Saturday Night Live put a ring on the famous “Single Ladies” sketch.
“She was very polite about it, but she was very hesitant—and when I say hesitant, I mean, like, she was not having it,” Justin Timberlake revealed in the documentary Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music, which NBC re-aired on Saturday.
The SNL Five-Timers Club member recalled how the beloved 2008 parody came to life, starting with a text from cast member Andy Samberg. Having previously collaborated on the viral hit “Dick in a Box,” Samberg pitched an idea for a comedic recreation of Beyoncé’s black-and-white music video for her hit single, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
“Andy texted me and said, ‘Bobby Moynihan has this great idea for a sketch where you, me, and him play Beyoncé’s backup dancers,'” Timberlake shared. When he learned that Beyoncé would be the week’s musical guest, he immediately jumped on board. “I was like, ‘Full leotard?’ and he said, ‘Yeah.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, this is too funny. We have to do this.'”
Determined to convince the superstar, Timberlake visited Studio 8H ahead of the November 15, 2008, episode hosted by Paul Rudd. “I thought, ‘Does she know how funny this is going to be? How beloved this whole moment will be?'” Timberlake said. “So I said, ‘Bring me the leotard.'”
Dressed in a black leotard, pantyhose, and high heels, Timberlake covered himself with a robe and headed to Beyoncé’s dressing room. “I knocked on her door, walked in, and threw down the robe. I put my hands on my hips,” he recalled.
The bold move paid off. “She was like, ‘No, you didn’t,'” Timberlake laughed, remembering how Beyoncé burst out laughing at his outfit.
The now-iconic sketch featured Paul Rudd as a music video director introducing Beyoncé to her new backup dancers—played by Timberlake, Samberg, and Moynihan in matching leotards and heels. The trio hilariously struggled to keep up with Beyoncé’s flawless choreography, creating one of the most memorable moments in SNL history.
The sketch’s impact extended beyond the show, even reaching the White House. President Barack Obama later joked with Beyoncé at his 2009 inauguration, telling her, “I’m not like Justin—I didn’t put on the outfit. I didn’t want my girls thinking I couldn’t do the moves.”
During the same SNL episode, Beyoncé performed a stunning live rendition of “Single Ladies” alongside her actual backup dancers, further cementing the song’s place in pop culture history.
Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music, co-directed by Questlove and Oz Rodriguez, is currently streaming on Peacock.