Saturday Night Live member Punkie Johnson has announced that she's leaving the iconic sketch show. She's been on SNL for four years. However, the 39-year-old went about announcing her departure in an unexpected way.
Johnson announced she was leaving SNL during a stand-up show at Brooklyn's Union Hall Wednesday night. She won't be returning for the show's 50th season. "I just want to let you know after four seasons, I will not be returning to 'SNL' for the 50th," Johnson said in an Instagram video Thursday, captioned "SNL I LOVE YOU ... LOOKING FORWARD TO WHATS NEXT!!!"
Johnson hadn't planned to announce her departure like this. But one of the audience members asked her about SNL and what she was most looking forward to. "I don't remember the exact question, all I heard was, 'me and next season.' I'm not going to lie to my friends, so I just said, 'Oh, I ain't coming back,'" she recalled.
Punkie Johnson Leaving 'SNL'
"Then I woke up this morning to text messages, phone calls, tags on the internet. I'm like, 'What is going on!' They're like, 'Well, you made some comments.'"
However she said there was no drama going on behind the scenes. She said, "No bad blood, no bridges burned, no hard feelings."
"Bro, I love my people! I didn't think none of this was going to be a big deal," she said. She called SNL "a dream I didn't even know that I could achieve."
"I was a part of one of the most elite institutions in comedy, and I am so grateful for it. That's still my people. I love them. I'm gonna be at the after parties acting a plumb fool!" said Johnson. "My time now has come to an end, and, um, Punkie outside now, y'all!"
Her SNL co-star Ego Nwodim reacted to the news in the comments. "Love you til the death of me Punkie!! Now get off instagram and whatever tf editing app you used and call me back please," she wrote.
