Vanessa Bayer Leaving ‘SNL’ After Season 42 As Well
SNL had Bobby Moynihan’s exit more or less written on the wall by CBS sitcom Me, Myself & I, but only hours ahead of Season 42’s finale, the sketch comedy series has another gut punch for you. Vanessa Bayer will apparently make Season 42 her last as well.
Deadline confirmed that Bayer will depart SNL after seven seasons, though it isn’t clear if the comic star made the choice herself. SNL contracts typically run for seven years (Moynihan granted a two-year extension to his), though recent seasons have seen fan-favorites like Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah unexpectedly dropped.
One small comfort, perhaps, is that Deadline notes Kenan Thompson will stay on through Season 43 as the show’s senior cast member. Bayer is also the current senior female cast member, which will fall to Kate McKinnon in Season 43.
SNL reps had no comment, though the timing of Bayer’s confirmed departure calls into question whether the Season 42 finale will acknowledge any of its outbound members. Moynihan’s exit was theorized for months, whether or not CBS picked up his new series.
You can watch promos for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Season 42 finale below, and stay tuned for the latest on the show’s future.
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