Punkie Johnson has left Saturday Night Live after 4 seasons

Punkie Johnson announced last night that she’s leaving Saturday Night Live, after four years as a performer on the sketch comedy series. Per Deadline, Johnson made the announcement at a comedy show last night, and confirmed it on her Instagram today.

In the video posted today, Johnson emphasized that the split was amicable: “It’s no bad blood, it’s no bridges burnt, it’s no hard feelings.” She seemed genuinely shocked that the news had blown up at all, having fielded some questions at a comedy show, been asked what she was most excited for in the show’s next season (which starts in September), and opted not to lie. (“This is why Dave Chappelle makes people lock up their phones,” she joked.)

Johnson joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player back in 2020, before being promoted to “repertory” status, a.k.a. the show’s main cast. She played numerous characters during her four seasons with the show, including Queen Latifah, Ice Spice, and her own version of Vice President Kamala Harris on occasions when Maya Rudolph wasn’t being tapped to return to play the role. (She also appeared in periodic, and very funny, Weekend Update installments.)

The comments on Johnson’s post included words of support from a number of Saturday Night Live alums, including Ego Nwodim, Cecily Strong, Chris Redd, and Chloe Fineman. In addition to her work on the sketch series, Johnson is a well-known stand-up and comedic actor; she most recently appeared in a memorable supporting role in last year’s very funny Bottoms.