Here’s hoping it’s just a rumor.
On Wednesday’s episode of the “Fly on the Wall” podcast hosted by “Saturday Night Live” alums Dana Carvey and David Spade, Carvey dropped quite the bombshell about the news that cast member Heidi Gardner reportedly will be leaving “SNL” after an eight-year run.
“From what I know, as of this recording, that it was not her idea to leave,” Carvey said of Gardner, before adding that he “could be wrong.”
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Spade looked visibly stunned.
“That would be a little shocking,” Spade said. “Because she’s really one of the core ones you know from that show and she always does a great job.”
“You never know, and it is a hard thing, but I was really, really surprised,” Carvey added before pointing out she’s one of the more versatile performers on the show.
Gardner has not publicly commented on her exit from the legendary sketch show. Representatives for Gardner did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment.
The “Shrinking” actor’s exit marks the fourth departure from “SNL” amid a cast shake-up leading into its upcoming 51st season. Other cast members who will not be returning include Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim and Devon Walker.
Yet, Gardner has been a heavily utilized player on the show for nearly a decade, with The Hollywood Reporter noting that she had been the longest-serving female member of the current cast.
Just last year, Gardner’s popularity on the show became abundantly clear when she went viral for finally breaking during the now-infamous “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch.
Although Gardner played a number of recurring characters during her tenure at “SNL” — including two who appeared on the “Weekend Update” segment — when reports broke last week that she would not be returning, fans on X mourned her departure with clips from the “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch.
And although Carvey and Spade were surprised by the news that Gardner may have gotten the axe, both agreed that maybe it wasn’t the worst thing in the world for the comedian.
“Eight is a lot,” Spade remarked about the number of seasons Gardner’s been part of the cast.
“Eight is enough,” Carvey agreed.
And, hey, if Andy Samberg’s “SNL50” digital short about how everyone on the show has anxiety because the very nature of working at Studio 8H is terrible for your mental health, maybe they have a point.
