Saturday Night Live star Devon Walker is setting the record straight on his shock axing from the iconic sketch comedy series amid a major cast purge.

Earlier this week, the 34-year-old comedian made a biting remark after the announcement that he and three other cherished cast members would be exiting the show before the start of season 51.

While the ‘fired’ stars were flooded with fan support, SNL boss Lorne Michaels faced outrage as many placed blame on him for the shocking bloodbath. 

But in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Walker admitted that his exit from the show was a mutual decision and not solely because of Lorne. 

When questioned about his departure, he began with, ‘The big question.’ He continued, ‘To be honest, the best explanation I have is that the show and I looked at each other and mutually agreed it was time to part ways.

‘I think I felt ready to leave the show, and I think the show felt ready to leave me.’ 

Saturday Night Live star Devon Walker is clarifying the unexpected news of his departure from the iconic sketch comedy show amid a significant cast overhaul; pictured in February

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Walker revealed that his exit from the show was a mutual decision and not solely because of SNL boss Lorne Michaels; Michaels seen in 2024

Walker added: ‘I was just ready to do something else. We both felt like it was time.’

‘This was such a big time commitment, and life commitment,’ he explained. ‘There’s been a lot of life stuff that I feel like I’ve had to miss out on. And I felt ready to do a different version of my life.

‘I think that me and the show are both ready to turn the page,’ he concluded.

Walker was the first SNL member to announce his departure from the long-running sketch comedy show, which will return in October. 

The actor joined the show in 2022 as a featured player and was promoted last season ahead of SNL’s 50th anniversary. 

‘Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool,’ he wrote on Instagram on Monday. 

‘Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f***ed up lil family.’ 

In the following days, several of his fellow cast members — Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner — also announced their departures. 

Walker was the first SNL member to announce his departure ahead of season 51; pictured in March from left to right: Michael Che and Devon Walker

In the following days, several of his fellow cast members — Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner (not pictured) — also announced their departures; pictured December 2024 in New York City

After a fan shared photos of Walker, Wakim and Longfellow in an X post reading: ‘ohhh my boys @internetdevon @Longfellowww i wish you both nothing but the best’, Walker couldn’t resist sharing his thoughts in comedic fashion. 

He wrote: ‘yall acting like we died lol we just getting different jobs.’ 

This comes after the Daily Mail confirmed that Gardner had exited the show after an impressive eight-season run. 

The news of the 42-year-old comedian’s exit comes shortly after it was revealed that cast members Longfellow, Wakim and Walker would not be returning for season 51 on NBC. 

Gardner joined Saturday Night Live in 2017 during season 43 as a featured player along with now-former SNL stars Luke Null and Chris Redd. 

She was then promoted to the main cast two years later. Since then, the Missouri-born actress has written and starred in countless iconic SNL sketches. 

Gardner’s shock departure evoked a strong reaction from SNL fans on social media — with some demanding that the show be canceled ahead of season 51. 

Another speculated that SNL’s mass exodus could be due to a cut back on production costs as they called for NBC to ‘just cancel SNL already.’ 

This comes after the Daily Mail confirmed that Gardner had exited the show after an impressive eight-season run. Gardner’s shock departure evoked a strong reaction from SNL fans on social media — with some demanding that the show be canceled ahead of season 51; pictured February in New York City

Another speculated that SNL’s mass exodus could be due to a cut back on production costs as they called for NBC to ‘just cancel SNL already’; pictured in season 49 cast shot

The exits come in the wake of series creator and longtime showrunner Lorne Michaels’ announcement that there would be a ‘significant shake-up’ amid the cast ahead of season 51; pictured February in New York City

Many were left frustrated over the loss of another beloved player, with one fan declaring Gardner ‘the heart and soul of the show.’

Among the tweets expressing sadness and disappointment over Gardner’s exit, several fans saw it as an opportunity for a new, young comic to make a name for themselves on the show. 

The exits come in the wake of series creator and longtime showrunner Lorne Michaels’ announcement that there would be a ‘significant shake-up’ amid the cast ahead of season 51. 

Just before Walker went public, Michaels teased a big shake-up coming ahead of SNL’s Oct. 4 season premiere. 

When asked whether he felt ‘pressure to reinvent this season’, Michaels said: ‘Yeah, for sure.’ 

‘It’ll be announced in a week or so,’ he added. 

The most famous members of the current cast include Colin Jost, Bowen Yang and Kenan Thompson. 

SNL Season 51 will premiere on Saturday, October 4, at 11:30 PM ET on NBC and Peacock, after the summer hiatus since May 17.