Overview

• Multiple outlets report Heidi Gardner will depart after eight seasons, ending a run that made her the longest-tenured current female cast member with standout Weekend Update characters.
• Michael Longfellow is leaving after three seasons, a move confirmed by several publications following Deadline’s initial report, with no public comment yet from NBC or Longfellow.
• Longfellow’s exit lands as a surprise to some after trade reporting that he screen-tested in May for a potential Weekend Update role, following frequent appearances at the desk.
• Earlier this week, Devon Walker and Emil Wakim announced on Instagram that they won’t return, with Walker calling parts of the experience “toxic as hell” and Wakim describing the news as a “gut punch.”
• Writers Celeste Yim and Rosebud Baker are also departing, with more roster decisions expected before Season 51 premieres Oct. 4 and James Austin Johnson already confirmed to return.