‘SNL’ Star Seemingly Quit Before Finale, But Backtracked

Saturday Night Live‘s Season 46 finale proved to be an emotional one. Throughout the episode, the cast members reflected on the past season and issued several statements that made fans wonder whether they were departing the show. But, before the latest episode even aired, Melissa Villaseñor, who joined SNL back in 2016, seemingly quit. However, she later clarified the situation on social media.

On Friday, fans noted that Villaseñor shared a message on her Instagram Story that indicated she would be leaving SNL soon. She reportedly wrote, “I’m not coming back to snl next year. Cause i deserve better [sic].” Although, she quickly deleted the message. Villaseñor later addressed her message on her Instagram Story by telling her fans that she was drinking and that she got “too cocky” when she posted her statement. Even though she clarified what caused her to write that previous message, she did stress that she’s unsure whether or not she will return to SNL next season.

“I don’t know, OK?” Villaseñor said about whether she’ll come back for Season 47 of SNL. “I don’t even know what tomorrow is. And my ego got too cocky and was like, ‘I deserve better.’ But, I already have better all around me and I hate that I did that because I look back at my journey at SNL and I’m, like, ‘Man, I’ve done some really incredible things.’” So, while she deleted her previous note about leaving sketch comedy series, it’s still up in the air whether the comedian will return for another season.

As previously mentioned, Villaseñor isn’t the only one who is sparking speculation that she’s leaving SNL. Cast members including Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, and Kenan Thompson all had fans wondering whether Season 46 was their swan song due to the season finale. During the show’s cold open, the cast reflected on producing the past season of the series amid the COVID-19 pandemic. At one point, Thompson, Bryant, Strong, and McKinnon — all of which are long-term cast members — all stood arm-in-arm as they spoke about the season and got a bit emotional while doing so. This lead some to believe this was their way of saying goodbye to the fans who have been watching them for so many years.