Cecily Strong leaves ‘Saturday Night Live’ after 11 seasons

On this weekend’s episode, Cecily Strong bid goodbye to “Saturday Night Live” after 11 seasons with the NBC late-night sketch-comedy series. Two hours before it aired, NBC posted on social media, “Tonight we send off one of the best to ever do it. We’ll miss you, Cecily!,” accompanied by a photo of a handwritten sign reiterating that second sentence, and two images of her performing on the show. Strong, 38, has not commented on social media, but gave her goodbyes through characters she played on the episode. Her trashy chain-smoker Cathy Anne said on the “Weekend Update” news segment explained she was going to prison: “Everybody has to go to jail at some point, and it’s just my time now, but I feel really lucky that I got to spend so many of the best moments of my life with these people that I love so much.” Singer-actor and “Nope” star Keke Palmer, who hosted “SNL” on Dec. 3, commented on the show’s Instagram post, “NOT MY GIRLLLLLLLLL … I LOVE HER.” Fellow longtime “SNL” repertory played Kenan Thompson posted five crying-face emoji. Strong, whose characters also included The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation with at a Party and whose impersonations included Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro and former first lady Melania Trump, was twice nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her “SNL” work. In August  she wrapped filming on the upcoming second season of her Apple TV+ comedy “Schmigadoon!”