When Michaels was asked as he was leaving SNL’s after-party at 4am why the show avoided the Weinstein controversy, the producer smiled and responded: ‘It’s a New York thing.’…

But DailyMail.com has since learned that the cast did try out a Weinstein joke during dress rehearsal – it just never made it to air.

‘I remember a joke being made about him during weekend update… I don’t remember the joke, I just remember that it got a big reaction from the audience,’ an audience member revealed.