The 52 Most Shocking Cast Exits Announced In 2022

The past year has truly been a surprising one for TV fans, with unexpected cast member exits taking place on over three dozen shows.

Below, TVLine has gathered the most shocking cast departures of 2022, with statements and details on the circumstances of each exit, both off-screen and on, so consider this your official spoiler alert!

Over the last 12 months, several longtime series regulars said goodbye to their characters, including New Amsterdam's Freema Agyeman, Good Trouble's Maia Mitchell, SEAL Team's Max Thieriot and Chicago P.D.'s Jesse Lee Soffer. (The #OneChicago universe also saw three docs leave the Med hospital.)

Elsewhere, Superman & Lois' Jordan Elsass and The Witcher's Henry Cavill stunned fans with the unanticipated news that they would not return for future seasons. But while many characters on this roundup were written out in dramatic, sometimes deadly scenarios, the Elsass and Cavill announcements came with a second surprise: their roles would be recast.

Among the other comedies and dramas that parted with some of their actors and actresses: FBI: Most Wanted, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Grey's Anatomy, The Boys, Euphoria and Sex Education.

Plus, 2022 also brought us major cast overhauls on Saturday Night Live, CSI: Las Vegas and grown-ish, with multiple performers bidding adieu. And the world of reality TV wasn't safe from cast exoduses either: The Voice's Blake Shelton and Dancing With the Stars' Len Goodman, who have been mainstays on their respective competition shows, both revealed that they would be leaving.

Read on to review our list of the year's biggest cast shakeups, then hit the comments to tell us which unforeseen exits stunned you most.

In early January, Burgi — who had played Ashland Locke for nearly a year — announced he was leaving the CBS soap opera, and the role was swiftly recast with Guiding Light vet Robert Newman. Just days after his initial exit announcement, though, Burgi clarified that he was leaving The Young and the Restless after he "naively and inadvertently violated the show's COVID policy."

After testing positive for COVID during the holiday break, Burgi isolated for the CDC's recommended five days before returning to the set, but later realized that The Young and the Restless required a 10-day isolation period. "I felt terrible about it, I still do," he said at the time. "It bothers me mightily but it is what it is. I respect whatever the show's decision is. They're doing the best they can, as we all are."

After starring on the CBS procedural for three seasons, McMahon announced in January that he'd be handing in his gun and badge to explore "additional creative pursuits." McMahon's character, team leader Jess LaCroix, was subsequently killed off in the actor's March farewell episode, while Law & Order: Organized Crime's Dylan McDermott was tapped to replace McMahon as the show's lead.

Just over a month after CSI: Vegas was renewed at CBS, Fox shared that she wouldn't be back as Sara Sidle for Season 2, explaining that "I personally just can't split Sara and Grissom up again." (Co-star William Petersen had only signed on for CSI: Vegas' first season, ruling out the possibility of Gil Grissom coming back for more episodes.)

Two days later, TVLine exclusively reported that Mel Rodriguez — who played chief medical examiner Hugo Ramirez on the new CSI iteration — was also exiting ahead of Season 2.

Run the World's central quartet will return as a trio in Season 2, following Bordeaux's exit from the Starz series over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Though our sister site Deadline initially reported that Bordeaux chose to walk away from the show when a "workable solution" could not be reached between the actress and production company Lionsgate Television, Bordeaux later claimed that "Lionsgate made no efforts to find a workable solution. I was fired."

Though Edelstein wasn't a full-fledged series regular on the Fox series, it still came as quite a shock when, in the final moments of the Feb. 21 episode, T.K. received a devastating phone call that his mother, Gwyn, had died.

Edelstein ultimately appeared once more in the Feb. 28 installment, a Gwyn-centric hour that revealed more details of her and T.K.'s relationship before her unexpected death. The actress told TVLine that showrunner Tim Minear gave her a heads-up about Gwyn's demise, adding that Minear "wanted to use Gwyn's death as a way to strengthen the story and connection between Gwyn and T.K. To really see what she meant to him in her absence, which is sadly how many people learn to appreciate people they once loved."

Flood's nearly three-season run as Grey's doc Cormac Hayes ended in early March, when Cormac followed through on his decision to resign from Grey Sloan. As Flood told Deadline at the time of his departure, "Having three years on the show felt right for me, and I think that the arc of the character with all the developments in the story was probably coming to its natural end, which was great. I was very happy that everybody felt the same."

After joining Legends of Tomorrow as Nate Heywood in Season 2, Zano exited the CW series in its Season 7 finale, during which his character lost his superpower and returned to the totem to live life with girlfriend Zari 1.0.

After the season ender, co-showrunner Keto Shimizu told TVLine that it felt like a "natural time to say goodbye to this character," while Zano called his run on Legends "the absolute most insane, fulfilling experience I've ever had." (Legends was ultimately cancelled after its seventh season.)

Mitchell and Mirchoff, who had respectively played Callie and Jamie since Good Trouble's first season, exited the Freeform series in Episode 2 of its fourth season: Callie revealed she'd be moving to Washington, D.C., for her dream job at the ACLU, and in a twist of fate, Jamie showed up on the same flight as her, having also gotten a new job in D.C.

In a video Q&A with TVLine (which you can watch here), Mitchell elaborated on her "personal decision" to leave Good Trouble, citing the difficulties of being away from her family in Australia during the COVID pandemic. "I was just like, 'I need to be able to be home at the moment,'" she explained. "When you go through something like that, it just makes things really clear, and I just knew it was time and I had to just prioritize my family and my mental health."

As TVLine exclusively revealed after grown-ish's Season 4 finale, six (!) original cast members would not return for Season 5: Francia Raisa as Ana, Emily Arlook as Nomi, Chloe Bailey as Jazz, Halle Bailey as Sky, Luka Sabbat as Luca and Jordan Buhat as Vivek. OG stars Yara Shahidi, Trevor Jackson and Diggy Simmons did come back, but Season 5 also welcomed a new crop of characters, including Marcus Scribner in his black-ish role of Junior Johnson.

grown-ish's showrunners told us that although the door remained open for a potential return from the departing cast members, the show's fifth season would focus on "Zoey, Aaron and Doug in their post-grad adventures and welcom[ing] a new dynamic class to Cal-U, including Junior."

As first reported in an interview with Us Weekly (and later confirmed by TVLine), Leatherwood announced his exit from the HBO Max comedy after Season 1, in which he played Essex student Nico Murray.

"There is a Season 2, but I'm not going to go back," Leatherwood told Us Weekly, adding that he was "happy to do the first season," but he will now be "branching off and going in a different direction... [w]ith so many amazing opportunities out there, we want to keep spreading our wings and leading ourselves to other projects so that's the move."

The Season 2 premiere revealed that Nico was expelled because of his frat's collection of tests and would be attend Cornell, thanks to a generous donation from his father.

Fowler, who joined The Resident as a series regular at the start of its fifth season, abruptly left the show in its March 29 episode. At the time of Fowler's exit, the actor's rep told TVLine that he only signed a one-year deal with the show; Fox declined to comment.

Sure, Tom Raikes broke Marian Brook's heart in The Gilded Age's first season finale, but we didn't expect him to disappear from the series altogether. Alas, Cocquerel will not return for the HBO drama's second season.

In April, six months after Apple TV+ renewed Mythic Quest for Seasons 3 and 4, producing studio Lionsgate confirmed to VanityFair.com that Abraham will not be back as C.W. Longbottom. "F. Murray Abraham will not be returning to Season 3 of Mythic Quest. Beyond that, we do not comment on matters concerning personnel," the studio said in a cryptic statement.

Davis, who played stylish salon owner Imani on the Showtime drama, revealed in April that she would not return for the show's fifth season. "Due to the many inquiries I'm officially announcing. I will not be in season 5 of @SHOTheChi and I will no longer be part of #thechi/#disneyproduction," Davis tweeted at the time. "Sending a BIG THANKS to all of my family and supporters/fans who have embraced me with along this journey. #selfworth."

The actress, who is transgender and plays a transgender character on The Chi, seemed to imply that she was no longer willing to work on a series in which Disney is involved, following Disney's initially soft stance on a piece of Florida state legislation that opponents have called the "Don't Say Gay bill." The measure, which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law in late March, prohibits public school teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in the classroom. (The Chi is produced by 20th Television, which is part of Disney Television Studios.)

McKinnon (who joined SNL's cast in 2012), Bryant (2012), Mooney (2013) and Davidson (2014) all left the NBC sketch series during its Season 47 finale on May 21.

On Sept. 1, it was announced that three more SNL cast members — Melissa Villaseñor, Alex Moffat and featured player Aristotle Athari — would also not return for Season 48. Then on Sept. 19, Chris Redd became the eighth SNL cast member to leave the series ahead of its 48th season.

Calling it "one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make," Esco confirmed her departure from the CBS drama after its Season 5 finale, which served as her character Chris' send-off episode.

"Bringing to life a strong, smart, bisexual character like Chris Alonso has been both a pleasure and a powerful opportunity to increase visibility for diverse women everywhere," Esco said in May. "Five years later, I am leaving S.W.A.T. to pursue new creative endeavors. Chris never backs down from the unknown and as an actor and director, I'm excited to step out of my comfort zone and embark on a new chapter, too."

TVLine confirmed in May that Spencer, who played Sanditon's Esther Babington, won't be back for the show's third season, expected to premiere in 2023. As showrunner Justin Young told Decider, "I think where we leave her at the end of Season 2, she's got everything she's ever wanted. She's happy, married, and now she has a child that she adores, so I think that's the end of Esther's story as far as I'm concerned."

Anderson only signed a one-year deal to reprise the role of Det. Kevin Bernard in NBC's Law & Order revival, but that reminder didn't ease fans' disappointment when it was confirmed on May 19 that Anderson had indeed left the show. His character's final appearance came in the Season 21 finale (read our full recap here), which found the NYPD cop working with his partner Frank (Jeffrey Donovan) to solve the murder of a fellow police officer. Both detectives enlisted SVU's Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) to aid in their investigation.

Bledel, who has co-starred as Emily (aka Ofglen) on the Hulu drama since its 2017 debut, announced in May that she'd be departing the show ahead of Season 5: "After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid's Tale at this time," Bledel told Variety. "I am forever grateful to Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support."

Just one week after debuting as a judge on SYTYCD, Morrison announced on May 27 that he was stepping down from his gig on the Fox competition show.

"Having the opportunity to be a judge on So You Think You Can Dance was an incredible honor for me. Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show," Morrison said in a statement obtained by TVLine. "After filming the audition rounds for the show and completing the selection of the 12 finalists, I did not follow competition production protocols, preventing me from being able to judge the competition fairly. I cannot apologize enough to all involved, and I will be watching alongside you all on what I know will be one of the best seasons yet."

Arison (who has played FBI Agent Aram Mojtabai since The Blacklist's first season) and Sohn (who joined as FBI Agent Alina Park in Season 7) both exited in the NBC drama's Season 9 finale. Aram, whose mental health had suffered throughout Season 9, announced his decision to "take some time away" from the FBI during the episode, while Alina went on medical leave after learning she was pregnant.

"I have been so honored to play Aram Mojtabai for nine years on The Blacklist. It is not lost on me how lucky I am to have been able to work and evolve with a role for nine years with this extraordinary cast, crew, writers and producers," Arison said in a statement to Deadline, adding that the door remains open for Aram to possibly pop up in Season 10.

The penultimate episode of Fear the Walking Dead's seventh season was the last for Debnam-Carey, who confirmed her departure from the series in a heartfelt Instagram post.

"I will never be able to fully express the kind of journey I have had working on @feartwd for so long. It has gifted me so much," wrote the actress, who played Alicia Clark since the pilot episode. "I was 21 when we began this crazy journey but now at 28, after 7 years and 100 episodes, I decided it was time for me to move on as an actor and as a person... I have been so lucky to be a part of something so awesome for so long but I hope you can understand and respect my choice to further expand and grow."

Gomez, who played Special Agent Ivan Ortiz on Seasons 2 and 3 of the CBS procedural, did not return for Season 4. According to our sister site Deadline, Gomez's exit was "believed to be a mutual decision."

Following The Boys' Season 3 finale, which appeared to send off McElligott's Queen Maeve, showrunner Eric Kripke confirmed to TVLine that the character was departing — for now, at least.

"A lot of the big story is Annie finally stepping up and emerging as the hero she needs to be, and in classic [story] structure, it's time for her mentor and protector to go and let her stand on her own two feet," Kripke explained in July. That said, "[Maeve and Dominique are] going to definitely take a break... but the series will definitely not end without seeing Maeve again."

Allison and Reynolds, who respectively played Ola and Lily on Netflix's coming-of-age series, separately shared in July that they would not be back for Season 4. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the exits come as part of a planned creative reset for the fourth season, in which the show will relocate to a different school featuring a mix of new and returning characters.

In late July, Rakhee Thakrar — who played Moordale Secondary teacher Emily Sands in Seasons 1 through 3 — also announced she would not return for Sex Education's fourth season.

CBS confirmed in July that Paul — whose character, Katrin Jaeger, received a promotion and said goodbye to the Fly Team in the Season 1 finale — would not be back for Season 2 of the procedural drama. Eva-Jane Willis, soon to be seen in Prime Video's thriller The Power, then boarded the series as Paul's replacement.

TVLine exclusively reported in July that Agyeman, who has played Dr. Helen Sharpe since New Amsterdam's debut, would not return for its fifth and final season. A source close to the show told us that it was Agyeman's decision to leave, following the start of production on the Sky Original comedy series Dreamland.

"Dearest Dam Fam. First off I would like to say a huge heartfelt thank you for your unending, dedicated and deliciously ferocious support!" Agyeman said in a statement. "I feel very fortunate to have connected with so many of you over these past few years, while rolling around in the skin of Ms. Helen Sharpe, and witness every ebb and flow of your emotional investment. What a ride! Thank you for being on it with me."

Elsass, who played Clark and Lois' teen son Jonathan Kent, exited the CW drama ahead of the upcoming Season 3; the role of Jonathan was recast with Michael Bishop. "Jordan Elsass has notified the studio that he will not be returning to Superman & Lois for Season 3 due to personal reasons," producers Warner Bros. Television said in a statement. Though the exact nature of Elsass' departure is unknown, it is reportedly not the result of a "workplace-related issue." (Elsass later elaborated on his exit in a Cameo video, citing his mental health as a contributing factor in the decision.)

Giddish, who joined SVU as Det. Amanda Rollins at the start of Season 13, confirmed in August that she'd be exiting the NBC procedural during Season 24.

"I wanted to address the chatter I've seen online and let everyone know that this will, indeed, be my last season on Law & Order: SVU," Giddish said in a statement. "Playing Rollins has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life. I've been so fortunate to be a part of the Law & Order family for the last 12 years. There is simply no other character on TV like Rollins. She's grown and changed, and I have as well. I started on this show when I was in my late 20s and I'm grateful I got to spend so many of my adult years with Rollins in my life."

Her last episode airs Thursday, Dec. 8.

Ferreira, who played Kat Hernandez on the acclaimed HBO teen drama, announced in August she'd be leaving the series and won't return for the upcoming third season. "After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I'm having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye," she said on Instagram. "I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today. I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it. Love you Katherine Hernandez." Ferreira was a series regular since the series premiere, but after a busy freshman season for Kat, Season 2 saw her take a backseat to other characters, though she appeared in all eight episodes.

TVLine exclusively reported that legacy cast member Michael Fishman, who played Darlene and Becky's younger brother DJ, would not be returning to the spinoff in Season 5 — though the door's been left open for Fishman's character to return.

The Oct. 12 episode revealed that DJ was visiting his wife Geena, who is currently stationed in Germany.

Soffer, who has played Detective Jay Halstead since P.D.'s premiere in 2014, announced in August that Season 10 would be his last. His last episode aired Oct. 5 and saw his character taking a military job abroad.

"I want to thank the incredible fans for their unwavering support during the past 10 years and want to express my deepest gratitude to Dick Wolf and everyone at Wolf Entertainment, Peter Jankowski, Matt Olmstead, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Rick Eid, Gwen Sigan, NBC, Universal Television, my fellow castmates and our incredible crew," Soffer said in a statement. "To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show. I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead."

Lockard, who played ED pediatrician Dr. Dylan Scott on the NBC drama, unexpectedly exited the series in its Sept. 21 Season 8 premiere when Dylan decided to leave the hospital.

"[Dylan] was a former cop, and that dynamic and his being caught between those two worlds is what was so interesting in his character," executive producer Andrew Schneider told TVLine at the time. "But we felt we really played that out with a number of storylines, and finally with the death of the woman he loved, we felt this would be a good time for him to move on."

The country star, who has served as a coach on NBC's singing competition since its 2011 debut, announced in October he's leaving the show after its upcoming Season 23 (set to air this spring).

"I've been wrestling with this for a while, and I've decided that it's time for me to step away from The Voice after Season 23," Shelton said in a statement. "This show has changed my life in every way for the better, and it will always feel like home to me."

Shelton was one of the four original coaches on The Voice when it premiered on NBC in 2011, along with Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green and Adam Levine. Green left after Season 5, and Aguilera left after Season 10. Levine stuck around until Season 16, exiting the show in 2019. Shelton has coached every season of The Voice so far, with eight of his vocalists winning the grand prize.

Tee, who plays Dr. Ethan Choi on the NBC medical drama, revealed his departure in October and will exit in the Dec. 7 episode, titled "Could Be the Start of Something New." (Get scoop on how Ethan will be written out here.)

Tee reportedly chose to exit Med in order to spend more time with his family and pursue other career opportunities. "Playing Dr. Ethan Choi on Chicago Med has been such a gift and a blessing," Tee said in a statement. "I am forever grateful to our fans and my colleagues both in front of and behind the camera as I embark on a new journey. I am forever indebted to Dick Wolf, NBC, and Universal Television for choosing me."

Three weeks after Tee's departure was announced, recurring player Asjha Cooper — who played resident Vanessa Taylor — also exited Chicago Med, with Vanessa leaving to take a job in the Philippines.

A Black Lady Sketch Show creator/star Robin Thede confirmed in October that Black won't return for the HBO series' upcoming fourth season: "We are forever indebted to our sister, Emmy winner Ashley Nicole Black, whose contributions as a writer and performer on A Black Lady Sketch Show for three seasons have made an indelible mark on our series and in comedy history," she said in a statement to Variety. "She will always be a part of our family and we are rooting for her as she continues on her path of greatness."

"I am so happy that the fantastic Black Lady Sketch Show team will be back for a new season," Black later wrote on Twitter. "While I made the difficult decision to leave the show, I can't wait to watch what they come up with!"

Although Season 3 has yet to hit screens (it's due out Summer 2023), Season 4 of The Witcher will have a major change: Henry Cavill will be handing over the role of Geralt of Rivia to Hunger Games vet Liam Hemsworth.

"My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4," Cavill said in a statement in late October. "As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find."

In fall 2022, the original SEAL Team cast member began starring on the CBS drama Fire Country (which he also co-created). And after several weeks of overlapping episodes, Thieriot's Clay was written out of SEAL Team, the victim of an accidental shooting as he convinced a distraught fellow war vet to not end his life.

"I'm really proud of Max and excited for him," SEAL Team showrunner Spencer Hudnut told TVLine, "but at the end of the day I have to do what's best for SEAL Team, and it felt like if he was going to leave, having his departure have the biggest impact on the show and on the team was my responsibility. But [killing off Clay] was the hardest decision I've had to make on this series, by a long shot."

During the show's live broadcast on Nov. 14, longtime judge Goodman announced that his seat will be occupied by someone new in Season 32.

"I've been with the show since it started in 2005, and it has been a huge pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful show," he said. "But I've decided I'd like to spend more time with my grandchildren and family back in Britain. I cannot thank you enough, my Dancing With the Stars family. It's been such a wonderful experience for me, and I'm looking forward so much to next week's finale."

Days after Goodman announced his departure, longtime pro dancer Cheryl Burke also revealed that she'd be retiring from Dancing With the Stars after Season 31.