Jimmy Fallon is losing his head writer on The Tonight Show.
Rebecca Drysdale, who became head writer of the NBC late-night talk show earlier this year, is leaving after just six months, our sister site Deadline reports. Drysdale confirmed the news in a private Facebook post, stating that NBC told her she and the show were not a good fit, and she agreed.
Drysdale — who has written for Key & Peele and High Maintenance, among others — went on to say that writing jokes about President Donald Trump has been a point of contention for her at times during her comedy writing career, and she believes that making fun of Trump only adds to his power. (Fallon infamously had Trump on The Tonight Show as a guest and playfully tousled his hair during the heat of the 2016 presidential campaign, which Trump eventually won.) Moving forward, she vowed to never write another comedy sketch about Trump again, saying that writing about Trump has led to division and pain in the writers’ rooms in which she has worked.
Earlier this week, NBC extended Fallon’s contract to remain host of The Tonight Show beyond 2021. (Fallon has served as host since 2014.) Showrunner Gavin Purcell, though, is stepping down, to be replaced by longtime producer Jamie Granet-Bederman.
[Note: An earlier version of this story included quotes from a private Facebook post of Drysdale’s, which she says were taken out of context.]