“Saturday Night Live,” the long-running late-night sketch show that began in 1975, is still holding strong after multiple decades on air. With a mix of political humor, satirical sketches and dry humor, “SNL” made its way into the hearts and heads of millions across the country.
The show’s 50-year anniversary was in 2025. It released a special, including a handful of well-known actors, such as Adam Sandler and Tom Hanks, and brought back some of the show’s more famous sketches, like Black Jeopardy and Debbie Downer.
However, in December 2025, beloved cast member Bowen Yang suddenly announced his separation from “SNL.” Yang joined the cast in the show’s 45th season back in 2019. After seven seasons at “SNL,” it seems that, though bittersweet, Yang’s time was well spent.
“I’m grateful for every minute of my time there,” Yang said in an Instagram post. “I learned about myself (bad with wigs). I learned about others (generous, vulnerable, hot). I learned that human error can be nothing but correct.”
In a carousel of photos, mostly compiled from behind the scenes of the show, Yang included a photo with Celeste Yim, a former “SNL” writer who left the show before season 51.
Yang’s last episode aired Dec. 20, with a sketch taking place in a Delta lounge where Yang’s character was finally leaving his job after years of working, meeting people and building relationships with his patrons. Within the sketch, Yang, Ariana Grande and Cher sang a rendition of “Please Come Home For Christmas” by Charles Brown.
After a tearful farewell, many fans shared their grief over Yang's departure from the show. However, Yang’s sudden mid-season departure has reminded many of last season’s sudden losses in the cast, most notably Heidi Gardner and, following in support, Ego Nwodim.
Together, on Nwodim’s podcast “Thanks Dad,” Nwodim and Gardner discussed “SNL.” While bonding over their time from sharing a dressing room in their earlier years, the two remarked on the strong emotions that came from leaving the show.
“It’s not the easiest place to work,” Nwodim said. “But you were such a huge gift, and I absolutely adore and love you. And I’m so grateful for that time.”
“I am so honored that we worked so hard there,” Gardner said in return. “We’re humans, so we have egos. We want things for ourselves. We want to succeed. And there weren’t a lot of times when we were able to, like, succeed in the way we wanted at the exact same time.”
It has not been revealed why Gardner left the show. Gardner made no remarks after leaving the show, nor was she given a send-off like Yang’s Delta sketch.
Before Garner’s release, Michael Longfellow announced he was not coming back on the show for his fourth season.
“Wish I was, but so it goes,” Longfellow said. “It was the best three years of my life so far. I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience and everyone there.”
Longfellow was at an airport when he got the call he was not returning for another season. Another cast member, Emil Wakim, confirmed he, himself, was fired and it was not his choice.
“I won’t be returning to SNL next year,” Wakim said on Instagram. “It was a gut-punch of a call to get, but I’m so grateful for my time there.”
“Here’s to making more art without compromise,” Wakim said at the end of his caption.
Although most cast members left feeling empowered to continue to create art away from the show, Wakim implies ideas were constricted in the “SNL” environment.
These cast changes came after the creator of “SNL,” Lorne Michaels, said he wanted to reinvent the show after the 50th anniversary. Though the cast members’ absences will hopefully be filled with new cast members, it is thought more favorites could be removed from the show.
“The show has always brought people in from different ages and different generations,” Michaels said. “And it has to. It’s how it revives itself.”
