The news comes just before the historic season 50 premiere.

It’s been an unusually quiet news summer for Saturday Night Live – until now.

Punkie Johnson announced that she won’t be back on the sketch comedy program for its historic season 50 this fall. Johnson, who spent four seasons on SNL, first made the announcement at a live comedy show at Brooklyn’s Union Hall on Wednesday evening, before making her departure official in a video posted to her Instagram on Thursday. “SNL I LOVE YOU… LOOKING FORWARD TO WHATS NEXT!!!,” the caption read.

In the video, Johnson noted that after her comedy show she turned the floor over to a Q&A. “Since there were some SNL cast and writers” in attendance, when an audience member asked what Johnson is looking forward to next season, she was honest. “Oh, I’m not coming back.”

Johnson continued, “SNL was a dream I didn’t even know I could achieve. I was a part of one of the most elite institutions in comedy, and I’m so grateful. That’s still my people.”

Johnson joined SNL in 2020 along with Lauren Holt, who left after one season, and Andrew Dismukes, who was promoted to repertory player alongside Johnson in 2022.

Punkie Johnson.Will Heath/NBC via Getty

The stand-up comic shined in her “Weekend Update” appearances, especially when she was joined by Mikey Day. She also played a memorable role in a 2022 sketch as a couples’ counselor to Melissa Villaseñor and host Jake Gyllenhaal, before being interrupted by Ego Nwodim brandishing a Super Soaker; and served as supporting player to Nwodim’s fan-favorite diner, Lisa from Temecula.

Although Johnson’s charisma and comic timing were evident on the sketch show, a memorable, recurring character eluded her, and the sketches she starred in, while hilarious, never full highlighted her particular brand of star power.

On what would be her final season, she logged the least amount of screen time of any repertory player, according to LateNighter.

Johnson is now on the stand-up comedy circuit, where she frequently performs alongside current SNL cast members like Molly Kearney and Devon Walker.

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Saturday Night Live will celebrate its 50th season when it returns to air in September, making it TV’s longest-running sketch comedy series and one of the longest-running shows in television history.

A number of special events have been programmed to commemorate the historic occasion, including a weekend-long celebration on NBC to culminate in a three-hour live primetime special to air Sunday, Feb. 16. The premiere of the season will precede the release of Jason Reitman’s SNL year one biopic Saturday Night.

No other member of the SNL cast has announced they are leaving the show ahead of the next premiere. Other current cast members include Kenan Thompson, James Austin Johnson, Mikey Day, Dismukes, Chole Fineman, Bowen Yang, Sarah Sherman, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Marcello Hernandez, Michael Longfellow, Chloe Troast, Kearney, and Walker.

Saturday Night Live season 50 will premiere on Sept. 28 on NBC.