Lorne Michaels and the cast and crew of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” are gearing up for the show’s milestone 52nd season. However, ahead of any official news about the season, fan-favorite star Chloe Fineman has announced that she’s leaving the series after seven years, first appearing in 2019.
Fineman announced the news on Instagram on July 16. She began the lengthy post, “After 7 wonderful seasons at SNL, I have decided it’s time for my next chapter.”
Fineman continued, “It’s cliché to say this, but working at SNL has been the greatest privilege of my life. I still can’t really believe I got to be a part of it. I fell in love with the place the second I walked through the door. Lorne (if you’re reading this on your burner account), I want you to know that I am forever in your debt.”
Chloe Fineman Went on to Discuss Her Experience on SNL
Fineman continued her “Saturday Night Live” exit statement. According to her, “Every day I was lucky enough to be surrounded by the best people in the business, and I was constantly amazed watching them work. Sewing a Jojo Siwa costume in 10 hours.”
She then recalled, “Writing a cold open at 2 pm on a Saturday. Finishing the VFX of a video minutes before dress (I don’t know if “finishing VFX” is the right technical term, but you get the idea).”
From there, Fineman also discussed some of the challenges of the job. Specifically, she recalled having sketch pitches turned down and the emotional toll it took on her at the time. However, she sees things differently in retrospect.
According to her, “You call everyone you know to complain. And then you look back a few years later, and it was a sketch called ‘lipstick for thicc dogs.'”
The comedian added, “But that’s just the show. You respect it so much that you give it absolutely everything you have even when it’s incredibly stupid. So you’re ecstatic when it works out and the most devastated you’ve ever been when it doesn’t. And in the end it doesn’t matter all that much, but it did at the moment.”
Regarding her exit, Fineman admitted that “It’s really hard to leave SNL, but it does feel like the right time.” The now former SNL star added, “I’m going to miss it a lot. But the people who work there are my family, and that place is my home, and I know I’ll never be too far away. And I swear to God, one day, sometime in the future, they WILL make lipstick for thicc dogs.”
The ‘Saturday Night Live’ Alum Has Multiple Projects in the Works
As mentioned, Fineman joined “Saturday Night Live” in 2019 for its 45th season. However, during that time, she continued taking on other projects, including “Search Party” and “High Fidelity.” Now, amid her exit, she has several projects in various stages of development.
According to Deadline, first up is her upcoming Apple TV movie, “The Dink,” which also stars Jake Johnson and Mary Steenburgen. The movie will premiere on July 24. Additionally, per IMDb, she has “Red, White, and Royal Wedding” and “The Very Best People” in post-production. The former of the two is expected in late 2026.
