Despite any and all annual claims from Michael Che that he's leaving Saturday Night Live in the near future, that thankfully still isn't the cast just yet. However, today did bring the somewhat disappointing and somewhat hopeful news that the long-running sketch comedy did lose its first longtime cast member ahead of Season 52 premiering later in 2026: the always great Chloe Fineman!
Lest this sound solely like a funeral dirge, this casting departure seemingly isn't due to anything detrimental happening behind the scenes, and hasn't yet sparked any rumors. In fact, she shared a bittersweet, photo-filled post on Instagram where she spoke directly about leaving, saying: