Punkie Johnson is saying goodbye to Saturday Night Live.
The SNL comic announced her exit from the NBC sketch comedy series in a social media post on Thursday, Aug. 1.
“I just want to let you know after four seasons, I will not be returning to SNL for the 50th,” Johnson said in a video she posted to Instagram.
Related: Maya Rudolph Returning to ‘SNL’ as Kamala Harris
The comedian added that she decided to announce her exit after someone in the audience at her stand-up show the night before asked about SNL‘s upcoming season.
“Alright, so last night, I had a ‘Punkie and Friends’ show. And since it was some SNL cast and writers, at the end of the show, I opened up the floor for questions,” she explained in the video.
“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,'” Johnson said. “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.’”
Johnson assured her followers there’s no “bad blood” or “hard feelings” with the creative team at SNL.
“SNL was a dream I didn’t even know that I could achieve. That 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!” Johnson said. “My time now has come to an end, and, um, Punkie outside now, y’all!”
The stand-up comic captioned the post, “SNL I Love You… Looking forward to what’s next!!! #SNL #49 Punkie Out!!!!”
Johnson joined the iconic sketch series as a featured player in 2020. Two years later, she was promoted to a regular cast member.
Her other credits include A Black Lady Sketch Show and Pause with Sam Jay.
The announcement of her departure from SNL came just one day after news broke that Maya Rudolph is returning to the series to play Vice President Kamala Harris through the 2024 election.
Season 50 of Saturday Night Live premieres Sept. 28 on NBC.
Watch the video posted by Punkie Johnson below:
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