Chloe Fineman has announced she will not return to Saturday Night Live for the programme’s upcoming Season 52. In an Instagram post on Thursday, July 16, the 37‑year‑old comedian said she is leaving the long‑running NBC sketch show after seven seasons.
End of an SNL chapter
Fineman joined the SNL ensemble in 2019 as a featured player and was elevated to the main cast for Season 47 in 2021. Over the course of her tenure she became known for a string of notable impressions and recurring characters, including an often‑seen impersonation of Melania Trump, the role of Kelsey in Marcello Hernández’s Domingo sketches, and lampooning Britney Spears in multiple sketches.
Her announcement did not outline specific future projects beyond a general reference to a "next chapter." In her Instagram message, Fineman reflected on the pressures and rewards of working on a live weekly show and addressed SNL creator Lorne Michaels directly in a personal note.
"After 7 wonderful seasons at SNL I have decided it’s time for my next chapter," she wrote. "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."
Reactions and context
Fineman described the emotional ups and downs of life in the SNL writers’ room and on the show’s frantic schedule — from the exhilaration when a sketch lands to the despair when it does not. She added she will miss the people who work there, calling them her family and saying the place remains her home.
- Joined SNL: 2019 (featured player)
- Promoted: Season 47 (2021)
- Seasons on SNL: Seven
- Age: 37
Her film credits include appearances in projects such as Freakier Friday, which the announcement referenced by identifying her as a cast member of that film. Representatives for the show were contacted for comment, according to reports.
What this means for SNL and Fineman
Departures from SNL have ripple effects: the programme routinely rotates talent as performers move into film, television and other creative endeavours. For Fineman, the exit closes a high‑profile chapter that showcased her versatility as an impressionist and character comedian, and it clears space for whatever she chooses to pursue next. For the show, it marks the loss of a familiar presence in sketches that drew attention and helped shape its comedic voice over the past several seasons.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Announcement date | July 16 (Instagram post) |
| SNL tenure | 2019–2026 (seven seasons) |
| Noted impressions/roles | Melania Trump; Kelsey in Domingo sketches; Britney Spears parodies |
Fineman’s departure is the first public exit announced following SNL’s Season 51 finale on May 16. She has said only that leaving is difficult but feels like the right time, and that she will not be far from the community she described as family.
