Jessica Williams is leaving 'The Daily Show' to do her own thing
Jessica Williams, the comedian whose sharp takes on race and gender politics on The Daily Show helped her make a name for herself, is leaving the nest.
Williams, who has been with the show since 2012, revealed in an interview with EW that she's leaving The Daily Show to pursue new projects, including a pilot at Comedy Central.
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“I feel so many emotions,” Williams tells the publication. “I feel like I’m growing up and graduating.”
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Thursday's episode of The Daily Show will be her last, according to the network.
Williams started on The Daily Show under Jon Stewart's watch and was the youngest comedian ever hired by the show. Quickly becoming a fan favorite, Williams' name would even eventually be thrown around as a possible replacement for Stewart, who left in August 2015.
After Stewart announced his departure in February 2015, The Daily Show began seeing a bit of turnover in talent, with both Samantha Bee and Jason Jones leaving for deals with TBS.
The success of Bee's Full Frontal with Samantha Bee since its launch has left many wondering more than ever why Comedy Central ever let her go. It's clear they're not willing to let more good talent get too far from home.
About a month after Bee's show debuted, Comedy Central announced Williams and fellow Daily Show correspondent Jordan Klepper had each signed development deals with the network.
Williams' departure comes on what's been a rocky week on The Daily Show. On Monday, following a Supreme Court vote that struck down a law that would have made it even more difficult for Texas woman to get abortions, the show drew criticism for a tweet that many deemed to be in ill taste.
"Celebrate the #SCOTUS ruling! Go knock someone up in Texas!" it wrote.
The show later offered up an apology of sorts.
Following news of Williams' exit, Trevor Noah told EW via email: “The sadness I have for Jessica leaving is only eclipsed by the joy I have for her starting her new show... If her podcast is anything to go by, it’s going to be an exciting show!”
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Topics The Daily Show
Sandra Gonzalez was a Senior Television Reporter at Mashable. A Texas native, she spent almost four years in New York City before leaving the land of superstorms for Los Angeles, where she was introduced to these terrifying things called "rolling earthquakes."Previously, she was with Entertainment Weekly, where she wrote about every show that could fit into her perfectly crafted TV schedule and anything ever touched by Shonda Rhimes.You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @theSandraG
