Highlights

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine was given a memorable sendoff with great cameos.
• Joanna Newsom's hilarious appearance included cheeky banter and nods to reality.
• Andy Samberg's real-life connection with Newsom mirrors their on-screen banter.

Fans might have felt a twinge of letdown when Brooklyn Nine-Nine wrapped in its eighth season, but that sentiment didn’t extend to the show’s two-part finale. From the sudden reappearance of Chelsea Peretti (Gina Linetti), who’d quietly exited the show years prior, to the bombshell reveals about the characters' futures, the show’s blow-out series finale was anything but dull.

But one particularly sizzling nugget might have slipped under fans' radar; Andy Samberg's wife, Joanna Newsom’s, hilarious, albeit fleeting, cameo. In this article, we’ll dive into Newsom’s unexpected Nine-Nine appearance, where she and Samberg traded some cheeky banter in an intriguing homage to reality.

Andy Samberg And His Wife Joanna Traded Hilarious Jabs In Her Brooklyn Nine-Nine Cameo

With numerous accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards and eleven Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and a viewership fluctuating between 2 and 5 million per season, it's not exactly a mystery why Brooklyn Nine-Nine consistently ranked among the best-rated TV shows since its debut episode aired on Fox in 2013.

As expected, fans were devastated when the show closed its final chapter in 2021. Perhaps to cushion the blow, the cast wrapped their journey on the show in a remarkably spectacular fashion; a Halloween heist episode brimming with hilarious misdirects and jaw-dropping reveals.

But there’s one titillating nod to reality that might have flown under the radar amid the flurry of hilarity that marked the series finale; Andy Samberg’s wife Joanna Newsom making a cameo.

The now 42-year-old singer-songwriter makes a surprise entrance in the episode’s final moments, bursting out of a closet right after the gang gets trapped in a storage container by Boyle’s doppelgänger, Bill.

Samberg reacts to Newsom’s sudden appearance in classic Peralta fashion. “Who the hell are you?!” he blurts out incredulously, upon which Andre Braugher (Captain Raymond Holt) introduces Newsom as “Caroline St. Jacques Renard, The associate principal cellist for the Berlin Philharmonic.”

Though brief, Newsom’s cameo adds a hilarious twist to the episode, primarily because it features Newsom and Samberg dishing out a light-hearted roast that feels like a tongue-in-cheek nod to their real-life relationship.

To kick things off, Samberg (Jake Peralta) accuses Braugher (Captain Raymond Holt) of ruining his big Nine-Nine farewell by inviting Newsom (Caroline St. Jacques Renard).

“Are you kidding me! You ruined my big goodbye to the Nine-Nine so we could listen to some nerd play a giant violin?”

Moments later, Newsom interrupts Terry Crews’ (Terry Jeffords) heartfelt speech to deliver a light-hearted jab of her own, referring to Samberg as “the ugly one that made fun of my cello.”

Andy Samberg And His Wife Joanna's Brooklyn Nine-Nine Roast Was Hilariously Ironic

While Andy Samberg might have roasted Joanna Newsom's musical prowess during her guest appearance on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, reality paints a vastly different picture. Ironically, Samberg is a massive fan of Newsom’s music in real life.

Although the Palm Springs star has made a point of keeping the nitty-gritty of his marriage to the singer-songwriter under tight wraps, he’s never passed up an opportunity to gush over her music.

He once said of her music in an interview:

“She’s got classical influence, but she’s generally categorized more as a folk singer-songwriter, but I wouldn’t put her in the same category as people who are called that. It’s veery unique. She’s the best. It’s crazy. Her music’s incredible. I can’t talk it up enough. I met her at her concert. I’m a superfan.”

What's more, despite referring to him as "the ugly one that made fun of my cello", Newsom is also a big fan of Samberg, once describing him as her favorite person in the world. The now 42-year-old said of Samberg during her 2016 appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers:

“I was a big fan of his. In fact, the night that I met him … I had just been with my band backstage, like, an hour before, watching Just 2 Guyz. He plays Steve the c–t. … So when I met him, he was kinda shy, and I said, ‘Oh, my God, you’re Steve the c–t!’ He always says he saw heart bubbles.”

Has Joanna Newsom Appeared In Other Shows Starring Andy Samberg?

Although Andy Samberg and his wife have been together for nearly two decades, fans know next to nothing about their private lives. Newsom’s Nine-Nine cameo gave fans a rare sneak-peak into the duo’s relationship, showcasing the playful dynamic they’ve developed over the years.

But that was not the first time Newsom had found herself roped into one of Samberg’s projects. Speaking to Consequence of Sound in 2020, Samberg credited Newsom with rescuing his 2020 film, Palm Springs, by offering a brilliant idea for a soundtrack.

"When my wife, Joanna Newsom, read the script, she said, 'Do you know that song 'When the Morning Comes' by Hall and Oates?' And I was like, 'No, I haven't heard that one,’” he recalled. “And I love Hall and Oates. So, she played it for me and I was like, 'Holy s**t.'"

What’s more, that wasn’t the first time a Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast member got to share the screen with their real-life romantic partner. From Melissa Fumero’s husband, David Fumero, who portrayed Melvin Stermly in season two, to Danielle Aubuchon, Dirk Blocker’s wife, who portrayed Jenny in season five, there were plenty of occasions where the cast’s off-screen lives spilled onto the small screen.