'SNL' nixed Hegseth 'Pulp Fiction' riff as 'too ridiculous,' Jost says

Truth can be stranger than"Pulp Fiction,"says"Saturday Night Live"comedian and writerColin Jost.

During a May 14 interview on"The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon,"Jost told the late-night host how the 'SNL' writers had been discussing possibilities for Hegseth sketches two months ago. "I was like, 'would it be funny if Hegseth just did that Bible verse that they have in "Pulp Fiction"?'" Jost said.

But the writers nixed the idea. "We talked about it and we're like that would be too ridiculous," Jost said. "And then he, for real, did it like two weeks later."

After Jost and Fallon laugh about it, Jost said, "I was like, 'Well, the good news is I'm being surveilled.'"

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Colin Jost says its 'crazy'Pete Hegsethquoted 'Pulp Fiction'

During an April 15 Pentagon worship service,Hegseth recounted a prayerhe said had been told to him by an Air Force rescue operation leader. While Hegseth's prayer echoed scripture, specificallyEzekiel 25:17, part of it appeared to paraphrase a linebetter known for "Pulp Fiction"than from the Bible.

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In the film, Samuel L. Jackson's characterciteda fictionalized Ezekiel 25:17 verse including the phrase, "And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

When Jost heard about the April 15 incident, "it was crazy," he said.

On the May 9 "SNL" episode, Jost's Hegseth bumps into Supreme Court Justice Brett Cavanaugh (Matt Damon) and FBI directorKash Patel(Aziz Ansari) at a bar. "It's very intimidating to have to go out and act next to Matt Damon," he said. "In 'SNL,' you just have to pretend you can hang."

Contributing: Mike Stunson

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him atmikegsnider&@mikegsnider.bsky.social&@mikesnider& msnider@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'SNL' nixed Hegseth 'Pulp Fiction' sketch as 'too ridiculous'

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 16, 2026

'SNL' nixed Hegseth 'Pulp Fiction' riff as 'too ridiculous,' Jost says

Truth can be stranger than"Pulp Fiction,"says"Saturday Night Live"comedian and writerColin Jost. During a May...

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Key FSU running back target commits to SEC program

TheFlorida State Seminoleshave missed on another key running back target, with four-star prospect Brayden Tyson committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday.

FSU was a finalist for Tyson, who was also considering the Miami Hurricanes, Purdue Boilermakers, and Rutgers Scarlet Knights. He visited FSU three times this year before committing to South Carolina, attending a Junior Day event in March and multiple spring practices.

Tyson is ranked as the No. 357 overall player and No. 23 athlete in the 247Sports composite. The Snellville product is also the No. 38 player from Georgia.

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He had a strong junior season at Brockwood High School, rushing for 1,292 yards and 16 touchdowns on 163 carries. While it was a great performance, it had nothing on his sophomore campaign. He finished his breakout season with 2,123 yards and 26 touchdowns, averaging 10.2 yards per carry.

Tyson is the latest running back target that the Seminoles have missed out on, with Ty Keys committing to Miami and Gary Walker trending towards theClemson Tigers. While they can flip Keys or Tyson and Walker's recruitment is far from over, two of their top uncommitted targets are Jayden Miles and Marquis Fennell.

Contact/Follow us@FSUWireon X, and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of FSU news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on FSU Wire:FSU football target Brayden Tyson commits to South Carolina

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 16, 2026

Key FSU running back target commits to SEC program

TheFlorida State Seminoleshave missed on another key running back target, with four-star prospect Brayden Tyson committed to the South ...

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Tyson Fury's 16-Year-Old Daughter Venezuela Marries Boyfriend Noah Price, 18, in Private Wedding Ceremony

Venezuela Fury married amateur boxer Noah Price

NEED TO KNOW

• The pair said "I do" during a private wedding ceremony on the Isle of Man on Saturday, May 16

• Venezuela, 16, was joined by her family, including her dad, heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury

Venezuela Furyis married.

Heavyweight boxing championTyson Fury’s eldest daughter married amateur boxerNoah Priceat the Royal Chapel of St. John on the Isle of Man on Saturday, May 16, according toManchester Evening News,Isle of Man Todayand theMirror U.K.

The bride, 16, wore a white lace fishtail gown with a 50-foot train. Venezuela paired the look with Crocs, which she previously told theScottish Sunshe planned to wear during her nuptials.

Venezuela was joined by dad Tyson, 37, and momParis Fury, as well as 18 bridesmaids, including her cousin,Bambi Fury, 3 — the daughter of Tyson’s half-brother,Tommy Fury, andMolly-Mae Hague.

Her little sisters, Valencia, 8, and Athena, 4, were also part of the wedding party.

For his part, Price, 18, wore black pants, plus a white vest and suit jacket with black lapels.

The newlyweds posed for photos together outside the chapel after they said "I do." Father of the bride Tyson, wearing a classic all-black suit, also took snapshots with his teen daughter.

The church where the nuptials were held was reportedly closed off to the public while the ceremony took place,Metro U.K.reported.

However, a camera crew captured Venezuela and Price's special day, which is expected to air on the family’s Netflix show,At Home with the Furys, per the outlet.

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Ahead of the ceremony, Venezuela posted aTikTok videoshowing her waking up for her wedding day. She could be seen in hair curlers and wearing under-eye masks as she mimicked a voice-over fromFriends.

“I’m getting married today,” Venezuela mouthed as she got out of bed, before falling down. Getting back up, she said, “I think I just cracked a rib, but I don’t care because today is my wedding day. My day is finally here!”

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Venezuela gotengagedto Price at her 16th birthday party. She shared a video of the surprise proposal on her Instagram Stories at the time.

She later posted aclose-up lookat her diamond engagement ring, writing in the caption of that post: "We are gettin married🥰 so happy❤️."

Despite her young age, Valentina's parents have shared their support for their daughter’s marriage.

"Venezuela is so mature for her years,” Paris told theMirror U.K."She's done so much in such a short time just because of who she is and the fact that she's got six younger brothers and sisters that she's helped bring up."

"I can't deny her, because I was 17 when I got engaged,” she continued. “She's obviously following in my footsteps, so how can I judge her in any way. I know she's young. But I think she's found the person she loves and if she's happy, I will completely support her."

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 16, 2026

Tyson Fury's 16-Year-Old Daughter Venezuela Marries Boyfriend Noah Price, 18, in Private Wedding Ceremony

Venezuela Fury married amateur boxer Noah Price NEED TO KNOW The pair said "I do" during a private weddi...

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Jannik Sinner survives rain-delayed Rome semifinal

Top-seeded home favorite Jannik Sinner will clash with clay-court specialist Casper Ruud of Norway in Sunday's final at the Italian Open in Rome.

Sinner concluded his rain-delayed semifinal Saturday against No. 7 Daniil Medvedev of Russia, finishing off a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory in two hours and 37 minutes.

Sinner was leading 4-2 in the third set when rain halted play for the night on Friday. Returning to the court 18 hours later, the World No. 1 wrapped things up in just 15 minutes.

Sinner won his service game at love to take a 5-3 lead and had two match points before Medvedev held serve. Sinner served out the match and returned to the ATP 1000 tournament final, where he lost to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in 2025.

"It was a very different challenge and a tough challenge," Sinner said. "Usually, during the night, I don't struggle to sleep but this time it was not easy. You are in the third set, nearly done, but you still have to show up again and you never know what is happening. It is like the start of the match as there are nerves again. I am very happy with how I handled this situation and that I back in the final."

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Sinner, 24, is one win away from completing a career Golden Masters. Only Serbia's Novak Djokovic has won all nine Masters 1000-level titles on the ATP Tour. Sinner extended his record Masters 1000 winning streak to 33 matches.

Sinner recorded seven aces, saved five of seven break points and finished with a 39-23 advantage in winners against Medvedev, who had seven double faults and 37 unforced errors to Sinner's 30.

Sinner is bidding to become the first home champion at the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta lifted the trophy in 1976.

Sinner improved to 10-7 against Medvedev. He is 4-0 against Ruud.

Ruud, the No. 23 seed, booked his spot in the final with a 6-1, 6-1 win in 65 minutes against Italy's Luciano Darderi on Friday.

--Field Level Media

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 16, 2026

Jannik Sinner survives rain-delayed Rome semifinal

Top-seeded home favorite Jannik Sinner will clash with clay-court specialist Casper Ruud of Norway in Sunday's final at the Italian...

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Japan leaves injured Kaoru Mitoma off World Cup roster

Japan left injured midfielder Kaoru Mitoma off the 26-man World Cup roster announced by coach Hajime Moriyasu on Friday.

Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury during Brighton's Premier League match against Leeds on Saturday, leaving his World Cup status in serious doubt. That was confirmed with Friday's reveal of Japan's roster.

"The medical team assessed that it would be difficult for him to get back to fitness during the tournament," Moriyasu told reporters Friday.

Monaco forward Takumi Minamino also will miss out on the World Cup after the 31-year-old suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December.

Moriyasu did take a chance on some other players dealing with injury issues, with Wataru Endo, Ko Itakura and Takehiro Tomiyasu included on the roster. Ajax defender Tomiyasu has dealt with multiple injuries that have led to him not appearing for Japan for nearly two years, while Liverpool midfielder Endo has only played in eight Premier League matches this season due to an ankle injury.

Sporting CP defensive midfielder Hidemasa Morita did not make the roster after totaling seven appearances in World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, defender Yuto Nagatomo will make his fifth World Cup appearance.

"I was able to select only 26 players, but I feel sorry that I couldn't select many other players," Moriyasu told reporters Friday. "However, I selected these 26 based on their past performances and through conversations with the coaching staff, believing that this is our best squad right now. I think I have chosen the best 26 players in order for Japan to win on the world stage at this moment."

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Mitoma, 28, has nine goals in 31 appearances for Japan.

Japan has won five consecutive matches ahead of its final pre-World Cup friendly against Iceland in Tokyo on May 31. The Japanese will then travel to the team's base camp in Nashville, Tenn., where they will train at the Nashville SC Training Center.

They begin their Group F play against the Netherlands in Arlington, Texas on June 14, followed by matches against Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico on June 20 and Sweden back in Arlington on June 25.

JAPAN WORLD CUP ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Tomoki Hayakawa, Keisuke Osako, Zion Suzuki

Defenders: Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, Yuto Nagatomo, Ayumu Seko, Yukinari Sugawara, Junnosuke Suzuki, Shogo Taniguchi, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Tsuyoshi Watanabe

Midfielders: Ritsu Doan, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo, Keito Nakamura, Kaishu Sano, Ao Tanaka

Forwards: Keisuke Goto, Daizen Maeda, Koki Ogawa, Kento Shiogai, Yuito Suzuki, Ayase Ueda

--Field Level Media

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 15, 2026

Japan leaves injured Kaoru Mitoma off World Cup roster

Japan left injured midfielder Kaoru Mitoma off the 26-man World Cup roster announced by coach Hajime Moriyasu on Friday. Mitoma s...

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