Saturday Night Liveis losing a player.
On Tuesday,?? ??? ??? ?? Varietyreported that SNL cast member Leslie Jones would be leaving the NBC sketch comedy show ahead of its Season 45 premiere this September. Mashable has confirmed the news, and Jones finally broke her silence on the morning after Labor Day.
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Jones first joined theSNL writer's room in early 2014, frequently serving as a guest commentator on the series' Weekend Update segment. In October of the same year, Jones was made a featured player for the remainder of Season 40. She became a repertory player in Season 42.
Per Variety, Jones' departure from SNL came as part of her decision to focus on other projects, including undisclosed film opportunities and her already-confirmed Netflix stand-up comedy special. NBC has yet to announce a replacement for Jones.
That said, SNL's Season 45 cast will include plenty of recognizable faces — most notably, repertory players Kate McKinnon and Kenan Thompson.
SEE ALSO: 'Saturday Night Live' reveals David Harbour, Billie Eilish, more fall hosts and musiciansMcKinnon, whose previous contract expired in May, will return to the series for her eighth season, per Variety.Meanwhile, Season 45 will mark Thompson's seventeenth cycle with the show — further solidifying his role as the series' longest-running cast member.
Saturday Night Livereturns Sept. 28, with host Woody Harrelson and musical guest Billie Eilish.
UPDATE: Sept. 3, 2019, 9:06 a.m. EDT Story updated to include Jones' Twitter thread confirming her departure.
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