Viewers saw stars including Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny and Cher take the stage during the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert on Friday. But away from the spotlight, the evening was filled with surprising behind-the-scenes moments involving some of Hollywood’s biggest names.
Hundreds of celebrities gathered inside New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, where heavy security surrounded the landmark venue. Gates were also put in place to keep out fans and anyone without a ticket.
DailyMail.com had exclusive access to the star-studded event.
For many famous guests, the Valentine’s Day concert became a date night. Couples in attendance included Jason Momoa and his girlfriend Adria Arjona, Miles Teller and Keleigh Sperry, Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Baldwin, Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer, John Mulaney and Olivia Munn, Anya Taylor-Joy and Malcolm McRae, Jerry Seinfeld and Jessica Seinfeld, Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy, and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
Robert De Niro also attended with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen on Valentine’s Day. Keeping a low profile, the actor sat in the back row of an orchestra section while wearing a black beanie and winter coat.
De Niro, 81, and Chen, 45, appeared to be enjoying themselves as they danced along to the performances. At one point, the martial arts instructor wrapped her arms around the actor.
Miley Cyrus performed at SNL50: The Homecoming Concert on Friday, February 14, but appeared frustrated when few people in the crowd stood up
Miley’s mother, Tish Cyrus, was the first to stand and cheer for her daughter
Adam Sandler was also seen dancing to Miley Cyrus while attending SNL50 with his wife Jackie and their daughters
Other notable guests who did not appear during the televised concert included Ryan Phillippe, who attended with his and Reese Witherspoon’s son Deacon; Sacha Baron Cohen, who is in the midst of a bitter divorce from Isla Fisher; and Ice Spice, who arrived with two male companions just days after attending the Super Bowl with her friend Taylor Swift.
Only Murders in the Building stars Martin Short and Steve Martin were also at the event, although they missed their co-star Selena Gomez, who had made other Valentine’s Day plans with her fiancé, Benny Blanco.
Miley Cyrus became visibly irritated when the audience failed to stand during her performance and addressed the issue from the stage.
At first, her mother Tish Cyrus was the only person on her feet.
Miley told the crowd, ‘Are y’all doing that Grammys thing where you guys are famous and sh*t and don’t sing along? Excuse my language.’
Adam Sandler, who was attending with his wife Jackie and their children, then stood up. Miley noticed him from the stage.
She gave the comedian a shoutout, and once he rose to his feet, many others followed suit and stood to cheer her on.
Soon after Miley’s performance, Tish and her husband Dominic Purcell hurried from their seats backstage to reunite with Miley.
Valentine’s Day became a date night for numerous celebrity couples, including Jason Momoa, 45, and girlfriend Adria Arjona, 32, who made their red-carpet debut at SNL50
Alec Baldwin, 66, and Hilaria Baldwin, 41, attended the concert at Radio City Music Hall
Amy Schumer, 43, and her husband Chris Fischer, 45, were among the couples who spent Valentine’s Day at Saturday Night Live’s 50th-anniversary celebration
Miles Teller, 37, and Keleigh Sperry, 32, walked the red carpet before taking their seats inside
Adam Sandler appeared to be one of the most energetic dancers in the star-studded audience and was in an especially upbeat mood. Tiffany Haddish also repeatedly stood to dance along with the performers.
During a commercial break, Sandler greeted Post Malone and shook the singer’s hand.
Jon Hamm was also spotted dancing away from the cameras to a band performing near the concession stands outside the theater doors.
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Hamm had been heading to get food while holding his wife Anna Osceola’s hand when he broke into an impromptu dance beside the live musicians.
The concession area and bar became a popular meeting point, with celebrities using the breaks between performances and commercial segments to catch up with one another.
Rob Riggle spent much of the three-hour show at the concession stand, where he socialized with friends.
At one stage, former friends James Franco and Seth Rogen narrowly avoided an awkward encounter.
Jon Hamm began dancing to the band while walking to get food with his wife Anna Osceola
James Franco and his girlfriend Isabel Pakzad made a rare public appearance in New York City on February 14 while attending SNL50
James Franco encountered Kristen Wiig while waiting to order food at the concession stand, as seen in exclusive video obtained by DailyMail.com
Franco avoided an awkward encounter with Seth Rogen, who was seen in the concession area about 45 minutes after Franco
James and Seth were seen in the concession area roughly 45 minutes apart.
The Pineapple Express star arrived with his girlfriend Isabel Pakzad to order food. The couple also ran into Kristen Wiig, who hugged James and spoke with him briefly.
Seth was seen in the concession area later, chatting with three friends, including Steve Higgins from The Tonight Show.
When the concert ended—around 30 minutes later than expected—the stars remained inside to reconnect with friends and colleagues from the entertainment industry.
Meryl Streep was surrounded by friends, including Tina Fey and Nia Vardalos.
Across the aisle, A-list couple Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost were also engrossed in conversation with friends and took some time to leave the theater.
Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson stayed for about 30 minutes after the concert to chat with celebrity friends
Colin and Scarlett, along with other celebrities, were eventually asked to leave the theater, as seen in an exclusive photo obtained by DailyMail.com
Meryl Streep was surrounded by celebrity friends after the concert
Woody Harrelson, Tina Fey and Nia Vardalos were seen chatting with Meryl Streep at the end of the concert in an exclusive photo obtained by DailyMail.com
Around midnight, security officers instructed the remaining celebrities and concertgoers inside Radio City Music Hall to make their way out.
An after-party was held at the upscale Pebble Bar. Some stars, including Keegan-Michael Key, chose to walk several blocks through the 30-degree weather rather than use their private car services.
Viewers who streamed the concert live on Peacock also saw performances from Dave Grohl, Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, Backstreet Boys, Mumford & Sons and Arcade Fire. Former and current SNL stars including Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Tracy Morgan and Kenan Thompson also took the stage.
The A-list audience also included Pete Davidson, his ex-girlfriend Emily Ratajkowski, Jenna Ortega, Kevin Costner, Forest Whitaker, Ed Helms, Kate McKinnon, Whoopi Goldberg, Chloe Fineman, Craig Melvin, Cecily Strong, Sandra Oh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dan Levy, Peyton Manning, Woody Harrelson, Topher Grace and Chris Pine, among many others.
Anyone who missed the special live on Friday can now stream SNL50: The Homecoming Concert on Peacock.
