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Robert Brown|'SNL' star Punkie Johnson reveals why she left the show
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Date:2025-04-08 16:37:59
"Saturday Night Live" star PunkieJohnson won't be Robert Brownreturning to Studio 8H, and she's opening up about her exit.
The comedian, 39, appeared on Dana Carvey and David Spade's "Fly on the Wall" podcast Wednesday after announcing earlier this month that she's leaving the cast of "SNL."
Johnson shared that she didn't "really feel like I fit" on the show as someone with more of a background in stand-up than sketch comedy.
"I came from stand-up, so I just thought everybody else came from stand-up," she said. "I started having conversations with people, and everybody was like, 'Oh, yeah, we went to school for this.' I'm like, 'Y'all went to school for this? To be here?'"
The "Bottoms" star continued that "SNL" is a "hard job" and revealed she questioned whether to leave last season because she felt she didn't "belong," but she ultimately came back and had a "tremendous first half of the season."
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But Johnson said things went downhill and she "spiraled" after Ben Silva, a writer she clicked well with, left the show.
Still, she added that she has already received numerous opportunities since announcing her exit.
"It's going to be very different, but I'm excited," she said. "I'm super excited. I'm working on a movie that ('SNL' creator) Lorne (Michaels) is also helping me do, I'm putting together my special that Lorne's also helping me do. So my relationship with the show is still strong. Mutually, we just understood that it wasn't my zone."
'SNL' cast departures:Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney exit
Johnson joined "SNL" as a featured player in 2020 and was promoted to the main cast in 2022. She confirmed she would not be returning earlier this month ahead of the show's landmark 50th season.
"It's no bad blood, it's no bridges burned, it's no hard feelings," she said in an Instagram video.
In pivotal election year,'SNL' should be great. It's only mid.
Molly Kearney, who joined "SNL" as a featured player in 2022 and became the show's first non-binary cast member, also confirmed they will not be returning in the fall.
"Yall that’s a wrap on my time on 'SNL'!" Kearney said on Instagram. "Reflecting on the amazing 2 seasons I got on this show, it was such a dream come true. So incredibly grateful for this period in my life. So much love to all my big hearted buddies behind the scenes who make the magic happen every week. So many bald caps, so little time."
Maya Rudolph is expected to reprise her role as Vice President Kamala Harris on "SNL" in the fall leading up to the presidential election, though Steve Martin has taken himself out of consideration to play Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after many fans suggested him for the role.
"SNL" will return for Season 50 on Sept. 28.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson
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