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Chloe Fineman details bizarre Lorne Michaels phone call over shocking 'SNL' exit

Chloe Fineman at
Chloe Fineman at "The Dink" premiere on July 20

The comedian described how her conversation went with the "SNL" boss about quitting the show.

Chloe Fineman revealed Lorne Michaels was at the World Cup semifinals when she called him to tell him she was leaving “Saturday Night Live.”

“He was, in classic form, he was watching England vs. Argentina,” the comedian told Variety at Apple TV’s “The Dink” premiere in Los Angeles on Monday.

“He was doing, like, the coolest thing in the world with the coolest people, but we had a lovely talk.”

Chloe Fineman at
Chloe Fineman (seen above at Apple TV’s “The Dink” premiere on Monday) detailed her phone call with Lorne Michaels about leaving “SNL” in a new interview with Variety. John McCoy/UPI/Shutterstock
Lorne Michaels at the
Fineman said Michaels (seen above) was at the World Cup semifinals game when she called him. Getty Images

Fineman, 38, remembered Michaels, 81, answering the phone and telling her, “I’ll call you back, I’m at the game.”

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“I was like, the soccer game?” Fineman recalled. “I made a joke, I was like, ‘I assume you’re rooting for England because you’re energetically very British?’”

Fineman said once the “SNL” boss called her back, they “had a really lovely chat” about her decision.

Chloe Fineman and Lorne Michaels
“He was doing, like, the coolest thing in the world with the coolest people, but we had a lovely talk,” Fineman recalled of her chat with Michaels (both pictured above on the “SNL” set). chloeiscrazy/Instagram
Lorne Michaels
Fineman said Michaels (pictured above) asked if he could call her back because he was at the game. Getty Images

Fineman announced her departure from the sketch comedy series via Instagram Thursday.

“After 7 wonderful seasons at ‘SNL’ I have decided it’s time for my next chapter,” she captioned her post. “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.”

Fineman, who joined the NBC show for Season 45 in 2019, said while it’s “hard” to leave the program, she believes it’s “the right time”

“I’m going to miss it a lot,” she shared. “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.”

Chloe Fineman at the
Fineman (seen above at the “SNL” FYC event in June 2026) confirmed she “had a really lovely chat” with Michaels about her decision. Variety via Getty Images
Chloe Fineman
The comedian (seen above on the set of “SNL”) announced she’s leaving the show after seven seasons. Getty Images

Page Six heard Fineman quit “SNL” hours after she was offered a role in David E. Kelley’s new Netflix drama series, “Myron Bolitar.”

“It happened very quickly,” an insider told us. “Chloe went back and forth, but it was a smart move — she knew she couldn’t say no.”

Sources also claimed Fineman had tension with other “SNL” co-stars, which allegedly contributed to her exit.

Chloe Fineman as Britney Spears on
Fineman (seen above as Britney Spears on “SNL”) said: “After 7 wonderful seasons at ‘SNL’ I have decided it’s time for my next chapter.” Colin Cauldwell/NBC via Getty Images
Chloe Fineman as Melania Trump on
Fineman (pictured above in a “White Lotus” skit on “SNL”) quit the show hours after she was offered a role in a Netflix show, insiders told Page Six. Holland Rainwater/NBC via Getty Images

“Chloe could rub people the wrong way at times,” our insider said. “She got along really well with some cast members, but not everyone clicked with her.”

The source added, “Some cast members felt like she expected people to accommodate her and assumed everyone would adjust to her schedule and preferences.”

However, a second source close to the show exclusively told us, “There’s no truth to this.”

Lorne Michaels at the
Lorne Michaels at the "SNL50: The Homecoming Concert"
Chloe Fineman and Lorne Michaels
Chloe Fineman and Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels
Chloe Fineman at the
Chloe Fineman at the "SNL" FYC event
Chloe Fineman
Chloe Fineman
Chloe Fineman as Britney Spears on
Chloe Fineman as Britney Spears on "SNL"
Chloe Fineman as Melania Trump on
Chloe Fineman as Melania Trump on "SNL"
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