Are Emily Lynne and Kate McKinnon sisters? Yes. Emily Lynne Berthold is Kate’s younger sister and a comedian and actress. Learn about her career, her partner, Kate’s relationships, and more.
Introduction: Why This Question Matters
Whenever a famous performer has a sibling who works in the same field, curiosity follows. Kate McKinnon spent years on Saturday Night Live, earned Emmy recognition, and became one of the most recognizable comedic actresses in America. Fans watching her work often see another name pop up in credits and social feeds: Emily Lynne.
Searches for Emily lynne berthold keep climbing because people want quick, trustworthy answers. Is she really Kate’s sister? Is she an actress too? Is she married? Who is Kate McKinnon dating? This guide answers each of those questions and separates what is well documented from what is only rumor.
The short answer: yes, Emily Lynne and Kate McKinnon are sisters. According to Kate’s Wikipedia entry, she has a younger sister, comedian and actress Emily Lynne, with whom she has collaborated on the Audible series Heads Will Roll and the digital series Notary Publix.
Are Emily Lynne and Kate McKinnon Sisters?
Yes. The confusion usually comes from the surnames. Emily’s full name is Emily Lynne Berthold, and Kate’s name sounds completely different. The explanation is simple: Kate was born Kathryn McKinnon Berthold, and “McKinnon” is her professional name. Kate’s legal last name is also Berthold, but she adopted “McKinnon” as her career took off.
So the two women share the same parents and the same family name. Searching “Emily Lynne McKinnon” is a common mix-up, but the sister’s name is Emily Lynne Berthold.
Who Are Emily Lynne Berthold’s Parents and Where Did She Grow Up?
Both sisters grew up in Sea Cliff, a small village on Long Island, New York. Their parents are Laura Campbell, a parent educator, and Michael Thomas Berthold, an architect. Their father died when Kate was 18, a loss Kate has spoken about in interviews.
That shared experience is part of why the sisters are described as so close. Growing up in a creative household with an architect father and an educator mother gave them an environment where making things, including home comedy videos, felt natural.
Is Kate McKinnon’s Sister an Actress?
Yes, and she is a comedian and writer as well. One profile describes Emily Lynne Berthold as an actress, writer, and comedian who also does stand-up comedy in a style very similar to Kate’s. Other biography pages add the titles of director and editor.
Her work generally falls into three areas:
- Acting: on-screen roles in comedic shorts and web series
- Writing and directing: creating her own short comedy projects
- Stand-up: live performance, where her delivery is often compared to her sister’s
Emily has built a career without leaning entirely on her sister’s fame. She is also known to be less mainstream than Kate. She has never appeared on SNL, but she and Kate have long worked well together creatively.
Emily Lynne Berthold’s Movies and TV Shows
People searching for Emily lynne Berthold movies and TV shows will find a mix of web series, audio projects, and short films rather than major studio releases. The most commonly cited credits are:
- Heads Will Roll (2019): an Audible fantasy-comedy series on which she collaborated with Kate
- Notary Publix (2015): a digital comedy series the sisters worked on together
- Pudding Face (2011): one biography site credits Emily with writing, editing, and directing this short comedy, with Kate in the cast. Treat this one with some caution, since that source is not a major outlet.
If you want to verify her credits yourself, check the Audible listing for Heads Will Roll, plus the credits on any project you are curious about, rather than relying on a single fan page.
How Old Is Emily Lynne Berthold?
This is one of the most searched questions, and it has no perfectly reliable answer. Kate is confirmed as born January 6, 1984. Wikipedia says Kate has a younger sister, so Emily is younger than 42 as of 2026. One biography site claims Emily was born in 1989 in Sea Cliff, but says her exact birth date is unknown. That source is not authoritative, so treat the year as an estimate rather than a fact.
Emily keeps her personal details relatively private, which is a reasonable choice for someone who is not a household name. When a precise birthday is not published by a reliable source, it is better to say “not publicly confirmed” than to guess.
Who Is Emily Lynne Berthold’s Husband or Partner?
This covers several related searches: emily lynne berthold husband, married, and partner. Here is what can be said responsibly.
There is no reliable public record confirming that Emily Lynne Berthold is married. The most widely repeated claim is from an entertainment profile, which stated that according to Emily’s Instagram, she is in a relationship with artist Matt Leary.
That is a notable distinction. A relationship reported from a social media account is not the same as a confirmed marriage. So:
- Partner: reported to be artist Matt Leary, based on her social media
- Husband: no verified public confirmation
- Marital status: not publicly confirmed
Because Emily is a private person, it is wise to avoid assuming a spouse where none has been announced. If she shares news herself, that will be the best source.
Who Is Kate McKinnon’s Partner?
This is the other half of what readers want to know. Kate McKinnon is openly gay. She spoke about it publicly while presenting the Carol Burnett Award to Ellen DeGeneres at the 2020 Golden Globes, thanking Ellen for making it easier to accept herself.
On her relationships, entertainment profiles state that Kate is not married and has no children, though she has a cat named Nino Positano whom she jokingly calls her son. The same profile says she dated journalist Bari Weiss at Columbia University and was also in a relationship with photographer and actress Jackie Abbott.
As for who Kate is dating right now, nothing reliable is publicly confirmed. Celebrity relationship pages are often outdated or speculative, so check a recent, reputable news outlet before treating any claim as current.
What Is the Sisters’ Relationship Like?
By most accounts, very close. Emily has described the two making plenty of videos together as kids, and the comedy bond started early. When Kate came out, there was a gap of several years before she told her sister. Kate later said Emily was fully supportive, reportedly adopting the cause as her own even though she isn’t gay.
You can see the closeness in their public collaborations. Kate, who is not on Instagram, appears all over her sister’s account, which makes Emily’s page the best window into their dynamic. The handle credited to her in press coverage is @phlegmilylynne.
Practical Examples: How to Fact-Check Celebrity Sibling Claims
The “Are Emily Lynne and Kate McKinnon sisters?” The question is a good example of how to verify relationships online. Here are practical steps you can reuse.
Example 1: Check the surname. If two people share a famous connection but different last names, look up the birth name. In this case, Kate’s birth name, Berthold, matches Emily’s surname immediately.
Example 2: Look for a primary or high-authority source. Kate’s Wikipedia page lists Emily by name and describes their collaborations. That is stronger than a gossip blog.
Example 3: Distinguish “reported” from “confirmed.” A partner mentioned on social media is a report. A marriage certificate or an announcement from the person is confirmation. Apply this to the Matt Leary claim.
Example 4: Watch for outdated pages. Age listings like “37 years old” on some fan sites are stale. Kate is 42 as of 2026, so always cross-check the date a page was written.
Example 5: Search the credits. For “Is Kate McKinnon’s sister an actress?”, confirm through the credits of a real project such as Heads Will Roll instead of relying on a biography site alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Emily Lynne and Kate McKinnon sisters?
Yes. Emily Lynne Berthold is Kate McKinnon’s younger sister. Kate’s professional surname is McKinnon, while both were born with the surname Berthold.
Is Kate McKinnon’s sister an actress?
Yes. Emily is described as an actress, writer, comedian, and director, with credits including Heads Will Roll and Notary Publix.
Who is Kate McKinnon’s partner?
Kate has not publicly confirmed a current partner in the sources reviewed. Past relationships reported in profiles include Bari Weiss and Jackie Abbott.
Who is Emily Lynne McKinnon’s husband?
Her name is Emily Lynne Berthold, not McKinnon, and no verified husband is publicly documented. She is reported to be in a relationship with artist Matt Leary.
Does Emily Lynne Berthold have a Wikipedia page?
Emily is mainly covered on Kate McKinnon’s Wikipedia page rather than having a large standalone entry. Searching “Emily Lynne Berthold Wikipedia” will mostly lead you to Kate’s article.
Conclusion
So, are Emily Lynne and Kate McKinnon sisters? Absolutely. Emily Lynne Berthold is Kate McKinnon’s younger sister, a comedian, writer, and actress who has collaborated with Kate on projects like Heads Will Roll and Notary Publix. The different surnames are explained by Kate’s professional name, and the sisters grew up together in Sea Cliff, New York.
On the personal side, the reliable picture is more limited. Emily is reported to be in a relationship with artist Matt Leary, but no marriage is confirmed. Kate is openly gay and unmarried with no children, and her current relationship status is not clearly documented in dependable sources.
If you are researching emily lynne berthold or any celebrity family member, lean on authoritative sources, separate reported claims from confirmed facts, and respect the privacy of people who have chosen to keep their personal lives out of the spotlight.