SNL's Cast Departures Begin

The cast changes that typify Saturday Night Live's summer hiatus have begun, and the first departure doesn't appear to be exactly a tearful one. The first cast member out the door is Devon Walker, who joined the NBC show in 2022, and USA Today notes it's not clear who called it quits, based on his Monday Instagram post that included a statement that read "Wait ... did he quit or did he get fired?" "Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool," Walker wrote. "Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction."

Deadline expects something of an exodus at SNL in the wake of its 50th season "as Lorne Michaels clears the way for a refresh of the show." Walker isn't alone in departing, notes USA Today: Celeste Yim, the show's first out trans writer, announced they were leaving on Sunday, saying on Instagram that the show "literally made all of my dreams come true BUT it was also grueling and I slept in my office every week." Saturday Night Live returns with its 51st season on Oct. 4.