Sasheer Zamata Leaving 'Saturday Night Live'

Photo by Maarten de Boer/Getty Images Portrait

After less than four seasons in the cast, Sasheer Zamata will not be returning to Saturday Night Live.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Zamata, who first joined the SNL cast back in 2014, will be departing the live television sketch comedy along with Bobby Moynihan and Vanessa Bayer. The addition of Zamata came about following criticism of SNL's lack of diversity when the show added six new cast members — all of them white and five of them being men.

Since joining the SNL cast Zamata has become known for impersonations of Rihanna and Michelle Obama as well as Beyonce and Solange Knowles, among others.

She has also continued working on her stand-up career. She recently released her first special, Pizza Mind, via Seeso this past March.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Zamata discussed the special and how being a part of SNL impacted her career.

"I feel like I've definitely become a better writer since working on the show," Zamata said. "And things that I haven't been able to use on the show have gone into my performance onstage. I think by default my work has become more political and a little more biting than it was before, which I like."

Zamata has yet to make a public statement about her departure.

Source via Entertainment Weekly