Macdonald and others believed that the true reason for his dismissal was his series of O. J. Simpson jokes during and after the trial, frequently calling him a murderer; Ohlmeyer was a good friend of Simpson and supported him during the proceedings. After being removed from the role, Macdonald went on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" and Howard Stern's syndicated radio show. In both appearances, he accused Ohlmeyer of firing him for making jokes about Simpson. The jokes were written primarily by Macdonald and longtime "SNL" writer Jim Downey, who was fired from "SNL" at the same time. Downey pointed out in an interview that Ohlmeyer threw a party for the jurors who acquitted Simpson.