Why Devon Walker Left SNL

Devon Walker, who joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 2022, is leaving the show behind ... but if you ask the man himself, there's no need to feel sorry about the situation. The actor and comedian broke the news via an Instagram Stories post, which assured his followers that the departure from the NBC comedy juggernaut is something to celebrate:

"Just to be clear, this is good news!! It was just time for me to do something different. Please don't be hitting me with the 'I'm so sorry,' we're not on that at ALL. Sometimes, mom and dad just don't see things eye to eye. I'll talk about the whole thing on @myfavoritelyricspod sometime soon."

Many "SNL" stars have had a rough time working on the show over the years. However, this message seems to leave Walker's fans with the knowledge that he has exited the show and is happy about it. Still, there's a hint that at least some type of falling out may have taken place behind the scenes. While Walker will no doubt follow up on the promise to eventually discuss things further on his "My Favorite Lyrics" podcast, he also gave a few specific reasons for parting ways with "Saturday Night Live." Let's take a closer look at them.

Walker first announced that he had left "Saturday Night Live" on Monday, August 25, via an Instagram post that heavily hinted that things weren't exactly all right behind the scenes. As he wrote in the post:

"Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f***** up lil family."

While this might make it seem that the working conditions at Studio 8H weren't exactly ideal, the message also included plenty of sentiment that said otherwise. In the post, Walker openly discussed the often brief nature of showbiz gigs and recognized the ups and downs of spending three years with the show. 

Notably, Walker's posts on the subject haven't mentioned whether he was shown the door (like Chloe Troast, who left ahead of season 50) or if he left "SNL" on his own accord like Andy Samberg. Regardless of what turns out to be the case, Walker's Instagram post did delve into some of his immediate plans that may or may not include a surprise genre pivot ... as well as some kind parting thoughts to his fans:

"Anyway, I'm bout to go to Japan. When I get back, I'm tryna be in a prestige drama. Ideally something with Julianne Moore. Hope y'all staying hydrated and getting some money today."