Chloe Fineman, a member of the “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) cast, has revealed her departure from the show after seven seasons through an Instagram post on Thursday, just ahead of the upcoming 52nd season set for this fall.
Her decision to leave follows a significant change in the 50th season back in 2025, which witnessed the exit of several comedians, including Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Ego Nwodim, and Emil Wakim. They were succeeded in the 51st season by Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, Ben Marshall from “Please Don’t Destroy,” and Canadian artist Veronika Slowikowska.
Although there hadn’t been any notable departures in the 51st season until the recent finale, fellow cast member Bowen Yang left midway through the season in December 2025.
In her Instagram announcement, Fineman expressed the difficulty of bidding farewell to SNL but emphasized that it felt like the right time. She conveyed her deep attachment to the people and the place, referring to them as her family and home.
Fineman joined SNL in 2019 alongside Bowen Yang and Shane Gillis, who had a brief stint before being let go shortly after. The show has witnessed a trend towards retaining cast members for longer durations, contrasting with the past practice of cast turnover after about six or seven seasons. The current cast boasts six members who have been part of the show for six seasons or more.
Apart from Fineman, long-serving members like Kenan Thompson with a record-breaking 23 seasons, Colin Jost with 13 seasons, Michael Che with 12 seasons, Mikey Day with 10 seasons, and Andrew Dismukes with six seasons, have contributed to this shift in the cast dynamic.
Following Gardner’s departure, and later Nwodim’s exit, Fineman became the longest-serving female cast member on SNL. Creator Lorne Michaels had previously hinted at upcoming changes post the show’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Among the departing cast members, Walker, Wakim, and Longfellow hinted that their exits might not have been entirely voluntary. Walker likened entertainment work to relationships, with some lasting longer than others, while Longfellow expressed regret over not returning for a fourth season at SNL. Wakim shared his emotional reaction upon learning he wouldn’t be returning, recounting a poignant moment at Six Flags.
During her tenure on SNL, Fineman gained recognition for her spot-on impressions of various personalities like Melania Trump, Timothée Chalamet, Britney Spears, and Drew Barrymore. She also garnered attention for her social media videos mimicking the Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun.
Apart from her comedic talents, Fineman has showcased her acting skills, appearing in films alongside prominent actors like Adam Driver in “White Noise” and “Megalopolis,” as well as in animations like “Despicable Me 4” and “Freakier Friday.” She is set to star in upcoming projects such as “Love Language” alongside Chloë Grace Moretz, and “The Dink” with a stellar cast including Jake Johnson, Ben Stiller, Mary Steenburgen, and Ed Harris.