Saturday Night Live faces another shakeup after veteran star Chloe Fineman announced her departure from the NBC sketch comedy series after seven "wonderful" years.
The 37-year-old will not be returning for season 52 after revealing that it is time for her to pursue other endeavors in a lengthy statement announcing her exit.
"After 7 wonderful seasons at SNL I have decided it's time for my next chapter," she began in her Instagram post on July 16, 2026.
"It's cliche 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," she continued, referring to the show's creator and longtime showrunner Lorne Michaels.
"Every day I was lucky enough to be surrounded by the best people in the business, and I was constantly amazed watching them work.
© GC Images"Sewing a Jojo Siwa costume in 10 hours. Writing a cold open at 2pm 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)."
Chloe went on: "I'm definitely not the first to make this observation but it really is funny looking back at it all now, because at the show you get so invested in everything you work on.
© Getty Images"You sob uncontrollably when your sketch isn't picked. You storm into a producers office telling them they just made the biggest mistake of their lives. 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.'"
She 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."
© Getty ImagesShe concluded: "It's really hard to leave SNL but it does feel like the right time. 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."
Chloe was inundated with supportive messages from her fans, including Natalie Portman, who responded: "You've made us all laugh so hard for so many years! Excited for what you'll do next."
© Getty ImagesReese Witherspoon added: "CHLOE!!! Your SNL characters were always the perfect blend of clueless & unhinged. So excited for your very bright future!"
While unconfirmed, Chloe is reportedly in negotiations to join an upcoming Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar novels.
Chloe is the first big name to announce her departure ahead of the new season. Her exit follows Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and , who all left SNL ahead of season 51 last year.
