An NBC spokesperson told BuzzFeed News TMZ ‘s report is inaccurate.
Kenan Thompson as Steve Harvey on Saturday Night Live
NBC
Less than a week before the 40th season of Saturday Night Live debuts on NBC, TMZ reported that Kenan Thompson, currently the sketch series' longest-running cast member, would be leaving the show after the upcoming season.
But an SNL spokesperson told BuzzFeed News, "This report is inaccurate as the season hasn't even started and cast decisions aren't made until the end of the season."
TMZ reported that Thompson, who's also the most-tenured black cast member in SNL's history, had planned to leave after Season 39, but Lorne Michaels allegedly asked him to stay.
Time will tell if Thompson will return for a twelfth season on SNL, but Season 40 will already see a lot of changes. Nasim Pedrad left the series to join the Fox comedy Mulaney; John Milhiser, Noël Wells, and Brooks Wheelan departed from the show after just one season; Cecily Strong is also leaving "Weekend Update" behind with Daily Show correspondent Michael Che taking her place alongside Colin Jost; and with the death of longtime announcer Don Pardo, SNL vet Darrell Hammond will return to the series as the new announcer.
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