🚨 EX-SNL STAR DROPS TRUTH BOMB: “It’s time for SNL to bring in WAY MORE BLACK WOMEN!” 🔥 After 7 iconic years, she’s walking away—but not before demanding the show finally fixes its diversity crisis. With ZERO Black women left in the cast, is Lorne Michaels listening? 👀 Who’s your pick to fill the void?

Ego Nwodim isn’t leaving Saturday Night Live quietly—she’s leaving with a megaphone, and her message is crystal clear: the show needs way more Black women in the cast, and it needs them now.

The 37-year-old comedian, who departed the NBC sketch giant ahead of Season 51’s October 4, 2025 premiere, sat down with Sherri host Sherri Shepherd and didn’t hold back. “I hope that there will be way more Black women,” Nwodim declared, her voice steady but charged with urgency. “I was the seventh. Punkie came after me. But way more—that’s what this show needs. Not just one. Not just two. Way more.”

The plea comes at a breaking point for SNL. With Nwodim’s exit following Punkie Johnson’s in 2024, the current 18-member cast—including new hires Jane Mart, Miles McKenna, and Chyna Tajae—has zero Black women for the first time since 2013. That year, widespread outrage over the show’s diversity gap forced Lorne Michaels to hire Sasheer Zamata and Leslie Jones in a mid-season scramble. Now, history is repeating itself—but this time, the silence is deafening.

Shepherd, a former SNL cast member (2000–2003), didn’t let the moment pass. “This is a break glass in case of emergency situation,” she told Nwodim on air. “SNL is the gold standard of comedy. Do not disappoint us. We need way more Black women—not just representation, but domination of the stage.” The studio audience erupted, and clips of the exchange exploded online, racking up over 2.1 million views on X within 24 hours.

Nwodim, who joined as a featured player in 2018 and was promoted to repertory in 2022, carried the weight of being one of only two Black women in recent seasons. Her impressions—of Dionne Warwick, Keke Palmer, and a viral “Hot Girl Summer” parody—were sharp, layered, and undeniably her. But she refused to let her individual success overshadow the bigger issue.

“I got to play the auntie, the bougie friend, the hood cousin, the corporate climber—all of it,” she told Shepherd. “But one voice isn’t enough. Black women aren’t a monolith. We bring range. And right now? That range is missing.”

The numbers don’t lie. Since SNL’s 1975 debut, only seven Black women have ever been cast members: Danitra Vance (1985–1986), Yvonne Hudson (1989–1990), Ellen Cleghorne (1991–1994), Maya Rudolph (2000–2007), Sasheer Zamata (2014–2018), Leslie Jones (2014–2019), and Ego Nwodim (2018–2025). That’s seven in 50 years—an average of one every seven seasons. By comparison, the show has had dozens of white male cast members in the same span.

The drought isn’t just historical—it’s current. Season 51’s premiere, hosted by Pete Davidson with musical guest Billie Eilish, pulled 5.2 million viewers, but critics slammed the lack of diverse voices. Vulture called it “the whitest SNL opener in a decade,” while The Root ran the headline: “Where Are the Black Women? Ego Nwodim’s Exit Exposes SNL’s Ongoing Failure.”

Social media is on fire. #MoreBlackWomenOnSNL trended globally within hours of Nwodim’s interview, with users tagging rising stars like Ziwe, Phoebe Robinson, Sam Richardson’s sister Jaine, and TikTok comedian Elsa Majimbo. One viral post read: “Ego said way more—not ‘one token hire.’ Give us a squad. #MoreBlackWomenOnSNL” Another user posted a mock casting call: “Lorne, hire: 1. A viral TikToker 2. A stand-up from Atlanta 3. A UCB improv beast 4. A singer-comedian 5. A political satirist. DO IT.”

Even SNL alumni are weighing in. Maya Rudolph reposted the Sherri clip with the caption: “Ego spoke for all of us. Way more. 👑” Leslie Jones commented on Instagram: “I left in 2019. Ego left in 2025. That’s SIX YEARS with only TWO Black women. Fix it, @nbcsnl.”

Lorne Michaels, 80, has stayed mum—but pressure is mounting. In a September 2025 Vanity Fair profile, he vaguely promised to “scout aggressively” for new talent, but insiders say the casting process remains stubbornly opaque. “Lorne trusts his gut,” one former writer told The Hollywood Reporter. “But his gut hasn’t prioritized Black women in decades. Ego’s call-out is a wake-up.”

The show’s diversity problem isn’t new. In 2013, after six seasons without a Black woman, Michaels faced a PR nightmare. Comedian Jessica Williams released a viral YouTube video titled “Dear SNL: Hire a Black Woman,” which garnered 1.5 million views in a week. The backlash worked—Zamata and Jones were hired in January 2014. But that fix was temporary. By 2020, both were gone, and the cycle repeated.

This time, the stakes are higher. Streaming giants like Netflix, HBO Max, and Peacock are snapping up diverse comedy talent faster than ever. A Black Lady Sketch Show won three Emmys. Abbott Elementary dominates ratings. Insecure launched Issa Rae into stardom. SNL risks irrelevance if it doesn’t adapt.

Nwodim, for her part, is moving full speed ahead. She’s set to star in a Universal rom-com written by Issa Rae, voice a lead in Netflix’s Big Mouth spin-off, and drop a stand-up special on HBO Max filmed at the Apollo. Her new podcast, Space Is the Place, will explore Black sci-fi tropes with guests like Janelle Monáe and Ta-Nehisi Coates. “I’m not bitter,” she told Shepherd. “I’m grateful. But gratitude doesn’t mean silence. Way more Black women—that’s my parting gift to the show.”

Punkie Johnson, now starring in a BET+ series about HBCU life, backed her up on Instagram Live: “Ego said what we all been thinking. Way more. Not one. Not two. A crew. Let’s go, Lorne.”

Casting rumors are already swirling. Names in the mix include:

Ziwe Fumudoh – viral interviewer, Ziwe showrunner
Phoebe Robinson – 2 Dope Queens co-host, author
Sam Jay – Pause with Sam Jay creator
Ego’s UCB protégé Ayo Edebiri – The Bear star (though tied to FX)
TikTok comedian Brittany Broski – for Gen Z appeal
Atlanta stand-up Zainab Johnson – Upload star

A source at 30 Rock claims auditions are “in overdrive,” with Michaels personally reviewing tapes. “He knows the optics are bad,” the source said. “Ego’s interview lit a fire. Expect announcements by December.”

Season 51’s early episodes have leaned hard on political satire—Davidson’s Trump 2.0 impression broke the internet—but the lack of Black female voices is glaring. A “Weekend Update” bit on affirmative action fell flat without Nwodim’s razor-sharp commentary. A sketch about Black haircare? Handled by a white cast member in a wig. The disconnect is palpable.

Critics aren’t letting up. The Grio published an open letter: “SNL, Ego Nwodim gave you seven years of brilliance. Now give Black women way more than crumbs.” Essence ran a feature titled “The Ego Effect: Why SNL Can’t Afford to Ignore Her Call.”

For Nwodim, the fight isn’t personal—it’s generational. “I stood on Maya’s shoulders,” she said. “Leslie’s. Sasheer’s. Ellen’s. Now someone needs to stand on mine. But not just one. Way more. Because Black women don’t just belong on that stage—we run it when we’re there.”

As SNL barrels toward its holiday episodes, the clock is ticking. Will Lorne Michaels finally break the cycle? Or will another decade pass before the next Black woman gets her shot?

One thing’s for sure: Ego Nwodim made sure the world is watching.