Michael Che Slammed for Calling Jenner a 'Fella'

Saturday Night Live star Michael Che is being accused of transphobia after calling Caitlyn Jenner a "fella" during a "Weekend Update" segment. Che spoke about Jenner after joking that Kanye West was "turning into an old white lady," People reports. "I mean, he used to be one of the coolest black dudes on Earth," Che said. "Now he’s showing up to events in sweatpants and orthopedic sneakers, listening to Kenny G and trying to get black people to like Trump. It’s like, how long before this guy changes his name to Kathy?”

"Now, you might think that I’m crazy, but about five years ago, there was a fella named Bruce Jenner, and he moved to Calabasas," Che said, drawing groans from the crowd. Jenner came out as transgender in 2015, and Che's misgendering caused a backlash and even calls for his firing. "Trans women are women ... even Caitlyn Jenner," tweeted one critic. The Wrap reports that Che pushed back against the criticism on social media Monday, asking one person who accused him of transphobia "how would you know what I’m afraid of..?" (SNL rescinded Shane Gillis' job offer after remarks he made about Asian people surfaced.)