Chloe Fineman, a member of the “Saturday Night Live” cast, has announced her departure from the show after seven seasons. The announcement was made on Instagram ahead of the upcoming 52nd season set to premiere this fall. Fineman’s exit comes after a significant cast shakeup during the 50th season in 2025, which saw the departure of several comedians, including Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Ego Nwodim, and Emil Wakim. They were replaced for the 51st season by Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, Ben Marshall from “Please Don’t Destroy,” and Canadian performer Veronika Slowikowska.
The 51st season did not witness any major cast departures until fellow cast member Bowen Yang left midway through the season in December 2025. In a heartfelt Instagram caption, Fineman expressed the difficulty of leaving “SNL,” acknowledging the show as her family and home but feeling that it was the right time to move on.
Fineman joined “SNL” in 2019 along with Bowen Yang and short-lived cast member Shane Gillis, who was let go shortly after. Over the years, the show’s cast has evolved to include more long-serving members. The current cast features several members who have been on the show for six or more seasons, a departure from the trend of cast members leaving after about six or seven seasons in the past.
Aside from Fineman, the seasoned cast includes 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. With the exit of Gardner and Nwodim, Fineman became the longest-serving female cast member on “SNL,” as creator Lorne Michaels had hinted at changes following the show’s 50th anniversary.
Among the departing cast members, Walker, Wakim, and Longfellow hinted that their exits may not have been voluntary. Walker likened entertainment work to marriages, where some last long while others are fleeting. Longfellow expressed his departure was not by choice, and Wakim described the emotional impact of learning he would not be returning, recalling the moment he received the news at a friend’s birthday party.
During her time on “SNL,” Fineman became known for her spot-on impressions of various personalities, including Melania Trump, Timothée Chalamet, Britney Spears, and Drew Barrymore. She also gained popularity for her social media videos impersonating the Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun. In addition to her comedic talent, Fineman has ventured into acting, appearing in films alongside top actors like Adam Driver in “White Noise” and “Megalopolis,” as well as projects such as “Despicable Me 4” and “Freakier Friday.” She is set to star in upcoming films like “Love Language” with Chloë Grace Moretz and “The Dink” alongside Jake Johnson, Ben Stiller, Mary Steenburgen, and Ed Harris.
