Devon Walker is leaving “Saturday Night Live” ahead of season 51.
While Walker, 34, didn’t confirm whether he quit or got fired, it’s common for “SNL” to decide not to renew cast members’ contracts between seasons. Taran Killam, Norm Macdonald, Chris Rock, and Adam Sandler are among the iconic “SNL” alums who’ve been fired from the sketch comedy show.
“It was kind of like them asking us to quit. There were new people at the network, and apparently they didn’t like me and Chris [Farley], so they kind of said goodbye to us in a nice way,” Sandler told The Hollywood Reporter of his “SNL” departure in January 2023.
Walker announced his “SNL” exit via Instagram on Monday, August 25, and poked fun at the fact that fans might speculate about why he’s leaving.
“Wait..did he quit or get fired?” Walker titled a statement he typed up on TextEdit. Although the comedian didn’t directly answer the question, he noted that “Saturday Night Live” could be “toxic as hell” sometimes.
“Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But … we made the most of what it is, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f—ed up little family,” he wrote.
Walker, who joined the cast of “SNL” for season 48 in 2022, added that most jobs in the entertainment industry are “fleeting.”
“That’s the deal,” he wrote. “You know what it is when you sign up.”
NJ.com has reached out to NBC for comment.
Whether he was fired or not, Walker called his “SNL” exit “good news” for his career.
“It was just time for me to do something different,” he wrote via his Instagram Story. “Please don’t be hitting me with the ‘i’m so sorry’ we not on that AT ALL. Sometimes mom and dad just don’t see things eye to eye.”
Walker also teased that he’ll share more details soon on his podcast, “My Favorite Lyrics.”
READ MORE: Who is the longest-running ‘SNL’ cast member?
Walker likely isn’t the only person leaving before season 51. “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels hinted at a big cast shakeup during an interview with Puck News earlier published last week.
“It’ll be announced in a week or so,” Michaels said, noting that he “felt pressure to reinvent” after SNL’s big 50th anniversary season.
Season 51 of “Saturday Night Live” premieres on NBC on Saturday, October 4. Past episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
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