2024 In Review: The Year's Most Shocking Cast Exits

We've got something to add to that famously short list of life's certainties: death, taxes and shocking cast exits in any given year of television. (A little wordy, we know. We'll work on it.)

That last one is what we're focusing on in the list below, which commemorates all the cast departures announced — some of them in rather surprising fashion! — in 2024.

And while most cast shake-ups tend to come from TV's scripted side — FBI: International lost star Luke Kleintank, for example — our list also includes notable unscripted exits. This year, Katy Perry announced that her seat at American Idol's judging panel would be vacant (and was later filled by Carrie Underwood), while Bravo's Real Housewives-verse has lost quite a few familiar faces.

We've updated this list all year long as more small-screen departures made headlines, and now it stands as a document of all the latest reshuffles on your favorite shows. Scroll down to see who left what this year, then drop a comment with the stars you're sad to see go!

Stewart, who made his debut as New Orleans Police Department detective William LaMontagne Jr. way back in Season 2 of Criminal Minds' original run, announced in January that he would not be back for Criminal Minds: Evolution's second season.

"[S]adly, my days of playing Will LaMontagne Jr. are over," Stewart posted on X in response to a fan asking about his Season 2 status. "You guys have been the absolute best."

NBC announced in February that longtime Law & Order actor Waterston would be stepping down from his role as D.A. Jack McCoy. His final episode aired Feb. 22, and he was replaced in March by Scandal vet Tony Goldwyn.

"The time has come for me to move on and take Jack McCoy with me. There's sadness in leaving, but I'm just too curious about what's next," Waterston said in a statement. "An actor doesn't want to let himself get too comfortable. I'm more grateful to you than I can say. Law & Order's continuing and amazing long run, along with its astounding comeback, is all thanks to you and to Dick Wolf, but for whose vision, patience, perseverance, and unique combination of creative and business talents, none of this would have happened. I feel very blessed. I hope to see you all on the flip side."

Burruss, who has been a main cast member on The Real Housewives of Atlanta since Season 2, announced in February that she has chosen to depart the Bravo reality series ahead of its 16th season.

In a red carpet interview with our sister site Variety, Burruss said, "I decided I'm not coming back this year. It's been 14 seasons, and they allowed us to sit around for a little too long, but during that time I had started working on a lot of other things, and I got some nice big projects coming soon, so I'm super excited about those things."

Marlo Hampton and Sanya Richards-Ross later announced their RHOA departures, too, while Real Housewives of Potomac cast member Candiace Dillard Bassett opted to exit that series ahead of Season 9.

In other Atlanta news, Kenya Moore will not return to the series following a suspension stemming from an alleged incident with new RHOA cast member Brittany Eady.

The 22nd season of American Idol would ultimately be Perry's last, as she announced in February on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

"I think this probably will be my last season for Idol," said Perry, who had served as a judge alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie since the series was rebooted at ABC. "I love Idol so much. It's connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat."

Idol Season 4 winner and country music star Carrie Underwood was later named Perry's successor.

After co-starring in the first two seasons of Max's Sex and the City continuation, Ramírez won't return as non-binary podcast host Che Diaz for Season 3. No official statement regarding Ramírez's departure has been released, but sources told our sister publication Variety in February that the Che character had reached a natural conclusion, since their relationship with Cynthia Nixon's Miranda had ended. (Max had no comment when reached by TVLine.)

Meanwhile, Karen Pittman — who played professor Nya Wallace on the series — has also exited ahead of Season 3 due to scheduling conflicts.

PBS announced in February that Miss Scarlet & the Duke would return for a fifth season... but it will simply be called Miss Scarlet, with Martin departing as William "The Duke" Wellington after four seasons.

"It has been such an incredible joy to bring Duke to life through [series creator] Rachael [New]'s beautiful, brilliant writing, and to get to play him for the past four years," Martin said in a statement at the time. "But it felt like the time was right for Scarlet to explore new stories and challenges for now, as the show continues to grow and evolve. I will miss working with my amazing partner in crime Kate [Phillips] and the rest of our brilliant family and team, but I'm excited to continue following Eliza and her escapades as a huge fan and newly enrolled Scarleteer!"

Tom Durant Pritchard (Feel Good, This Is Going to Hurt) has since joined Season 5 as Alexander Blake, a handsome former soldier and respected detective inspector who joins the force at Scotland Yard to replace the Duke.

Due to scheduling conflicts, Colman didn't return for Season 3 of Netflix's Heartstopper, where she played Nick Nelson's beloved mom, Sarah.

"We tried absolutely everything we could, but it wasn't meant to be, and that's just the way the TV world works sometimes," series creator Alice Oseman told fans in March. "Nick's story from the comics is still there, still infinitely important to me, and Sarah's role as emotional support for Nick will shift to other characters in the story for now. If we get a Season 4, I would love for Olivia to be a part of it again!"

Flynn, who joined Chicago Fire as Derrick Gibson at the start of Season 12, ultimately had a short-lived run on the NBC series, exiting after just six episodes.

The actor told our sister site Variety that it wasn't his choice to leave the show: "Just like all the fans, I was sad to see Gibson leave. He was a character I very much enjoyed playing," he said in April. "I had a wonderful experience during my time on Chicago Fire and have great respect for the cast and crew and hope to team up with Dick Wolf again when the time is right."

After three seasons, Minkoff announced her departure from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on April 15, ahead of the Bravo reality show's upcoming 14th season.

In an emotional video posted to Instagram, she called her exit "very bittersweet," adding that it was an "honor" being the first Asian American cast member.

Kleintank, who played Supervisory Special Agent Scott Forrester since FBI: International's debut, exited the CBS series near the end of its third season. His final episode aired May 7.

"After much thought and consideration, I've made the difficult decision to leave FBI: International," the actor said in a statement to our sister site Deadline. "This decision is driven by my unwavering commitment to my family, whose love and well-being are paramount in my life. I'm profoundly thankful for the extraordinary cast and crew of the show, who have not only been colleagues but also a family away from home. Their unwavering dedication and remarkable talents have made every moment on set an unforgettable journey that has enriched my life in countless ways. Lastly, I would also like to extend my thanks to the fans who have supported us through the first three seasons."

Chavez — who had taken a leave of absence from playing General Hospital's Spencer Cassadine to shoot Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story — confirmed in May that he will not be returning to the ABC soap, after all.

"I'm so appreciative of the opportunity that GH gave me, and I wouldn't be as busy as I am professionally if it weren't for the talented producers, writers, directors and fellow actors," Chavez wrote in an X statement. "[Executive producer] Frank Valentini is a mentor and a friend, and we've had some pretty extensive conversations about my future on the show. While there are no current plans for me to return, we are still talking very openly about future possibilities for Spencer in Port Charles."

Walker departed Chicago Fire as a series regular in the Season 12 finale, when Chief Wallace Boden — who Walker had played since Fire's debut — left his current position to serve as the Chicago Fire Department's Deputy Commissioner. According to Deadline, however, Walker is expected to return in a recurring capacity in the future.

A reason for Walker's exit has not been reported.

Manheim, who played Lt. Kate Dixon on the NBC crime drama, departed the show in its Season 23 finale on May 16.

"I had the most incredible experience being a part of the Law & Order Universe, and more importantly the Wolfpack," Manheim wrote in an Instagram post in May. "I'm so thankful for the three wonderful seasons that I spent with this wildly talented cast of merry pranksters... I loved showing up for work each and every day, loved keeping the boys in line at Precinct 27 and most importantly, loved spending time with the most hard working, professional and kindhearted crew. They are truly New York's finest. Something wonderful awaits me around the corner, and I can't wait to see what it is."

Borelli, who has played Grey's Anatomy's Dr. Levi Schmitt for the past seven years, exited the ABC drama in Season 21. According to our sister site Deadline, Borelli's departure was due to budget cuts at the series, and in the Nov. 14 episode, Levi accepted a pediatric research position in San Antonio, Texas, and left Seattle with his new boyfriend, hospital chaplain James Morgan.

Similarly, Midori Francis — who debuted as surgical intern Dr. Mika Yasuda in the Season 19 premiere — also left Grey's as a series regular in Season 21. Her final episode aired a week after Borelli's, with Mika saying goodbye to the hospital in the wake of her sister's death in the fall finale.

de Beaufort, who played tightly wound prosecutor Olivia on the first two seasons of the NBC courtroom comedy, announced in May she wouldn't be returning for Season 3: "For the last two years, I have had the immense privilege of driving onto the WB lot and walking onto a stage filled with the most hard working, loving and talented cast and crew that comedy has to offer... I will miss the honor of being in their brilliant company, but my god. That was fun. My time at Night Court has come to an end."

In November's Season 3 premiere, Wendie Malick's Julianne took over as the court's new prosecutor.

Aytes is jumping CBS shows, departing S.W.A.T. as a series regular to star opposite Morris Chestnut on the network's freshman medical drama Watson. Per Deadline, the hope is for Aytes to continue recurring on S.W.A.T.'s eighth season as Hondo's wife Nichelle Carmichael; she first appeared on the CBS procedural as a recurring player in Season 3, then was later promoted to series regular for Season 6.

McClain, who co-starred on the first four seasons of the Fox procedural as 9-1-1 operator Grace Ryder, did not return for the fifth (and now final) season, we learned in June. In the Season 5 premiere, which aired in September, we learned that Grace left home to volunteer with Mercy Ships, a faith-based organization that performs life-saving surgeries all over the world.

It was a controversial plot twist for fans — Grace left behind her husband Judd and a two-year-old daughter — but showrunner Rashad Raisani defended the decision to TVLine: "The only thing we could think of to justifiably pull Grace away from her family and job was an even greater calling. And the only thing in Grace's world that could answer that was God."

When The Morning Show returns for Season 4, it'll do so without former series regular Margulies, according to Variety. Margulies joined the Apple TV+ drama in Season 2 as Laura Peterson, a TV news anchor who became romantically involved with Reese Witherspoon's Bradley Jackson. Despite the two ending their relationship in Season 3, Laura remained in Bradley's orbit for the duration of her time on the show, which will no longer be the case moving forward.

Months of swirling showbiz rumors were confirmed in June when Costner announced he wouldn't return to the hit Paramount Network drama for the second half of Season 5. "I just want to reach out and let you know that after this long year-and-a-half of working on [big-screen Western] Horizon, and doing all the things that that's required, and thinking about Yellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love.... I just realized that I'm not going to be able to continue, Season 5B or into the future," Costner shared in a video message to fans.

"[Yellowstone] was something that really changed me," he added. "I loved it, and I know you loved it, and I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning. I love the relationship we've been able to develop, and I'll see you at the movies."

Costner's character John Dutton was written out in shocking fashion in Yellowstone's Season 5B premiere, with John's dead body being discovered in an apparent suicide — but a couple weeks later, we learned (as we suspected) that it was actually murder.

The daytime-TV vet announced he would be leaving the ABC soap in an Instagram video posted on June 26. His final episode as Dr. Hamilton Finn aired the very next day.

"I've loved every minute that I've been here. I want to thank the entire cast and crew for allowing me to share their stage this past 10 years," Easton said in the video. "Most importantly, I want to thank all of you for the kindness and love you've shown me and my family. I won't ever forget you. And as I walk out here for the last time, and with apologies to the great Lou Gehrig, I feel like the luckiest man on the face of the Earth."

The doctor is out: Rains exited the cast of Chicago Med ahead of its 10th season. Rains joined the Dick Wolf drama in Season 5, playing trauma surgeon Dr. Crockett Marcel.

While fans may not be happy to see Rains go, a potential exit was foreshadowed in the Season 9 finale, which aired on May 22. In the dramatic episode, Crockett was so rocked by the news that his former patient died and that the little boy's dad died by suicide that he bailed on a surgery. The situation brought up old feelings of helplessness and grief for Crockett, who tearfully confessed that he knew how the dad felt because he, too, lost a child. He added that he never took the time to grieve his daughter's death, and the Season 10 premiere confirmed that Crockett was leaving for Boston.

After five years behind the CBS Evening News anchor desk, O'Donnell announced in July that she'll depart the network's nightly news telecast after November's presidential election. She will then move into an expanded role as a CBS News senior correspondent, focusing on long-form reporting and interviews across CBS News platforms.

After O'Donnell's departure in January, CBS Evening News will move back to New York City (from Washington, D.C.), where John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois will take over as anchors.

Valentino, who joined the light ABC procedural as recurring in Season 4 and got promoted in Season 5, will not be back as a series regular for Season 7, TVLine exclusively reported in August. The actor played Aaron Thorsen, a TikTok-famous personality who, after being acquitted of a headline-making murder charge, joined the Mid-Wilshire Division as a rookie cop.

"I will always cherish my time on The Rookie, but couldn't be more excited for what the future has in store," Valentino later wrote in an Instagram story. "I adore the friends and relationships made while being there. It was such an amazing opportunity, and I feel so lucky to have had the last three seasons. Thank you to the best fans in the world. I know I don't talk much, but I appreciate you all so much. You never know who may pop back up in the Mid-Wilshire precinct. Until then, 7 Adam 19, this is Officer Thorsen, over and out!"

TVLine exclusively confirmed in August that Weigert, who co-starred as handler Teddi Bruin in Tracker's first season, would not return as a series regular for Season 2 of the Justin Hartley drama. Abby McEnany, who plays Teddi's wife and Colter Shaw's fellow handler Velma, was back for the sophomore run, however. In the Season 2 premiere, Velma explained that Teddi was out of town helping her mother.

Kane, who had portrayed FBI's Special Agent Tiffany Wallace since Season 3, departed the CBS procedural at the start of its seventh season. (Early in the Season 7 premiere, we learned that Tiffany had given notice, and she left the team by the end of that episode.)

"It was time to look toward new creative endeavors," Kane said in a statement to our sister site Deadline. "I'm excited for the future and wish the show all the best."

In an additional twist, actress Lisette Olivera — who had been brought in as a series regular that would ostensibly replace Kane — ultimately left FBI after filming only a handful of episodes (and before she'd even made her on-screen debut on the show).

News broke in August that Monaco would exit the ABC daytime soap after more than two decades playing Sam McCall, with a source confirming the departure to TVLine. (Monaco was apparently "blindsided" by the decision.)

Debuting in 2003, Monaco joined GH as bad girl Sam, the long-lost daughter of attorney Alexis Davis. She went on to become one of the pillars of the long-running soap, earning two Daytime Emmy nominations across her daytime career.

Monaco's final episodes as Sam aired in October, with Sam dying in the hospital after donating her liver to Lulu Spencer.

Johnson, who had been part of the SNL cast since Season 46, confirmed in August that she would not return to the NBC sketch comedy series for Season 50.

"After four seasons, I will not be returning to SNL for the 50th," she said in a video posted to Instagram at the time. Adding that there was "no bad blood," "no bridges burnt," and "no hurt feelings," she shared that "SNL was a dream I didn't even know I could achieve. I was part of one of the most elite institutions in comedy, and I'm so grateful for it... But my time there has come to an end."

The following day, featured player Molly Kearney also announced they'd be departing SNL ahead of Season 50. Then, in September, Season 49 breakout Chloe Troast shared that she "was not asked back" to SNL for the 50th season.

Ezra, who had led All American as football phenom Spencer James since the show's debut, shared in June that he would not return as a series regular for Season 7, calling Spencer "the most life-affirming character I've ever played."

Three months later, five more cast members — Samantha Logan (Olivia), Cody Christian (Asher), Karimah Westbrook (Grace), Monét Mazur (Laura) and Chelsea Tavares (Patience) — were also confirmed to be exiting as series regulars ahead of the seventh season. The CW has confirmed, though, that Ezra will be back to direct and guest-star in the new season, while "other fan-favorite OG characters" will also return as guest stars.

Hunter Clowdus, who played footballer JJ Parker, previously left All American ahead of Season 6 earlier this year.

Kotb, who has served as co-anchor of NBC's Today since early 2018, announced in September that she plans to leave the morning news program at the start of 2025. Citing a desire to spend more time with her family, Kotb told her Today colleagues on air, "I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie. We only have a finite amount of time." She does, however, plan to continue contributing to NBC News after her Today departure.

Kotb's final episode will air Friday, Jan. 10, at which point Today staple Craig Melvin will take over as co-anchor for the 7 to 9 am hours. Today's fourth hour, meanwhile, will become Today With Jenna & Friends after Kotb's exit and will feature Jenna Bush Hager joined by a rotating group of different co-hosts.

One of the iconic voices that has brought the Fox animated comedy to life for the past three decades called it quits in November, with Hayden announcing her retirement after 35 years. Hayden was best known for voicing Bart's dorky friend Milhouse, along with Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders and more.

"The time has come for me to hang up my microphone, but how do I say goodbye to The Simpsons? Not easily," Hayden said in a statement. "It's been an honor and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty, and groundbreaking show, and to give voice to Milhouse (and Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Janey, Malibu Stacy, and many others). P.S., I'll always have a special place in my heart for that blue-haired 10-year-old boy with glasses."

Hayden's final episode as Milhouse aired in November; recasting for her characters "will begin in the near future," according to Fox.

Duell, who has played Michael Corinthos on the ABC daytime soap since 2010, announced he was leaving the show in November. "After many incredible years with General Hospital, I've decided to step away from the show," he wrote on Instagram. "This wasn't an easy decision for me, but it feels like the right time in my life."

Executive producer Frank Valentini responded with a statement of his own: "I am sad to confirm the news of Chad Duell's forthcoming exit from General Hospital. I have loved working with Chad over the years and wish him nothing but the best. He is a terrific actor and will be missed by everyone at GH. There are no plans to recast his role at this time, but you never know in daytime. I can promise a great story for Michael and his family when Chad exits in the new year."

Bravo's long-running reality series did a clean sweep of its cast in November, jettisoning all of its cast members — Katie Maloney, Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, James Kennedy, Lala Kent, Tom Schwartz and Scheana Shay — and starting fresh with a new generation of SUR servers.

Season 12 "will feature Lisa Vanderpump and a new group of close-knit SUR-vers who are as complicatedly involved with one another as their iconic predecessors," Bravo announced. (The new cast will be announced at a later date.)

For fans of the original cast, Kent, Schwartz, Shay and her husband Brock Davies have all filmed appearances for the upcoming Season 2 of spinoff The Valley, starring Vanderpump Rules alums Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright and Kristen Doute, Deadline reports.