Dan Levy has never been one to bite his tongue, and this Thanksgiving long weekend was no exception.
The Canadian actor and Schitt’s Creek star made headlines after calling out a misogynistic monologue on Saturday Night Live, reminding men everywhere to speak up against sexism.
On Oct. 10, American comedian Shane Gillis returned to the long-running sketch show for another hosting stint, despite past controversies over racist and homophobic remarks.
During his opening monologue, Gillis criticized women for wearing shorts to the gym.
“I haven’t been to the gym in so long, I didn’t know women just dress like whores now,” he said. “Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe it.”
While Gillis’ so-called joke may have drawn some awkward applause from the live audience, the punchline fell flat with viewers worldwide, including Levy.
The actor took to Instagram to call out the comedian, sharing a video with his nearly six million followers and making it abundantly clear he did not find Gillis’ monologue funny.
“I’m speechless that something like that can exist on live national television,” Levy said.
“Women wearing short shorts to the gym does not make them whores,” he continued. “It makes the men calling them whores misogynists. There’s a difference there.”
Levy also stressed that men need to do more to defend women, emphasizing that gender-based violence isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s “an everybody issue.”
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Levy’s now viral video comes amid renewed conversations about sexual assault and accountability, including the case at Cornell University that has sparked student protests and public outcry. Women have taken to social media to share their own experiences of sexual assault in solidarity with the alleged victim, identified as Jane Doe.
The Emmy-winning actor, writer, and producer has built a reputation for being outspoken on issues that matter to him, using his platform to advocate for a more inclusive world.
In August 2020, Levy encouraged fans to join him in enrolling in a free Indigenous history course offered by the University of Alberta, urging Canadians to confront the parts of their country’s history that had gone unaddressed in classrooms.
His call came amid a national reckoning with Canada’s residential school system, which gained serious attention that year following the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential school sites.
“If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we need to actively re-learn history. History that wasn’t taught to us in school. To better understand and contextualize our lives,” Levy said.
He’s also been outspoken on LGBTQ+ rights, as a proud member of the community.
Levy has called out TV critics for their “offensive” homophobic comments and publicly criticized Comedy Central India for censoring a same-sex kiss in Schitt’s Creek despite the fact that heterosexual kisses remained unedited.
And he isn’t afraid to weigh in on more lighthearted topics, either.
Earlier in 2026, he sparked a debate over whether airlines should offer baby-free flights.
Speaking to the popular TikTok channel “Are You Okay?,” Levy said, “I firmly believe there should be one airline flight with no babies, especially like a long-haul flight. No offence to the babies. One flight.”
He doubled down on the idea on Jake Shane’s podcast, Therapuss, arguing that passengers who spend their hard-earned money on a seat should have the option to fly without a screaming baby beside them.
While people online were quick to suggest noise-cancelling headphones as the obvious solution, many parents actually sided with him in the comments.
Whether it’s about commercial flights, Canadian history, or good ol’ fashioned misogyny, Levy has never been one to keep his opinions to himself.
We hope that never changes.