Devon Walker Quits ‘SNL’ After 3 Seasons, Describes Show as “Toxic as Hell”

Devon Walker is leaving Saturday Night Live after three seasons, and he isn’t holding back about his experience on the long-running NBC sketch show.

The comedian revealed the news on Instagram on August 25, sharing a note titled “wait .. did he quit or did he get fired?”

In the post, Walker wrote, “Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction.”

The 34-year-old captioned his post, “me and baby broke up ❤️.” In a follow-up Instagram story, he called his departure “good news” and added, “It was just time for me to do something different.”

Walker first joined SNL in 2022 alongside Michael Longfellow, Marcello Hernandez, and Molly Kearney. His announcement comes just one day after writer Celeste Yim confirmed they were leaving the show after five seasons.

Yim reflected on Instagram, saying the job “literally made all of my dreams come true” but admitted it was “grueling and I slept in my office every week.”

This isn’t unusual for SNL. The show is known for cast shakeups during breaks between seasons. In 2024, Molly Kearney, Punkie Johnson, and Chloe Troast exited after Season 49, while new featured players were brought in.

Troast later said she hadn’t chosen to leave, admitting, “I was not asked back. I wish I was going back to be with all the amazing friends I made there, it truly felt like home. But it wasn’t in the cards.”

The timing of Walker’s announcement comes just after SNL wrapped its landmark 50th season with a primetime special. Leading into the finale, fans speculated about who might leave, but the episode didn’t make any obvious farewells.

Scarlett Johansson, who hosted, even joked in her opening monologue that Sarah Sherman was leaving, only for Sherman to look shocked and confused.

Meanwhile, on Weekend Update, the show teased rumors that Colin Jost might be stepping away to take over Lorne Michaels’ job, though Michaels himself shut that down in a recent interview with Puck.

He explained that the cast had been kept intact for Season 50 to avoid any “disruptions” but promised changes were coming in Season 51. Michaels confirmed that James Austin Johnson will return to continue playing Donald Trump.

SNL is set to return with Season 51 on October 4.