Movies - TV
Why Punkie Johnson Left Saturday Night Live Before Season 50
By ETHAN ANDERTON
This fall, “Saturday Night Live” will be embarking on its 50th season but according to LateNighter, cast member Punkie Johnson will not be back for season 50 at “SNL.”
Johnson unceremoniously made the announcement during an evening stand-up comedy show at Brooklyn's Union Hall on July 31, 2024.
During the show, Johnson mentioned some troubling details as to why she ended up leaving the show, and it sounds very typical of the reputation of “SNL” behind the scenes.
One Twitter user attending the show wrote, “She also said the issues sort of started when she was told to lose her dreads and stop getting buff…”
Johnson's final straw may have been not getting a crack at playing presidential candidate Kamala Harris. It was recently announced that Maya Rudolph would return to the role.
When Harris became the new Democratic candidat, the comedian retweeted several fans who showed support of her for the opportunity, implying she wanted the gig.