Everyone loves a bit of controversy, so it’s no wonder you’ve heard of the times actors left TV shows for unreliable reasons.
But it’s not always the backstage disputes that make the actors leave. We wanted to celebrate the weirdest reasons shows have lost their stars because sometimes you just need a little weirdness in your life.
Meghan Markle (Suits) – Becoming Duchess
Of all the reasons to quit TV shows, marrying a royal prince is a pretty good one. Meghan Markle left the hit legal drama Suits after seven seasons due to her marriage to Prince Harry, which she described as a new chapter in her life.
Kal Penn (House) – Working for the White House
After two seasons, Kal Penn left his role as Dr. Lawrence Kutner in the House to join the administration of President Barack Obama as an associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement in 2009, serving on the Committee on Arts and President’s Humanities from 2013 until he resigned in August 2017.
Steve Burns (Blue’s Clues) – Suffering from alopecia
A host of rumors swirled after Steve Burns let Nickelodeon’s educational kids show Blue’s Clues, including the rather dark one that he had died. However, it seems that his reason for leaving after more than 100 episodes was much more straightforward and understandable.
Rubén Blades (Fear the Walking Dead): Too busy winning Grammy Awards
We’ve been a bit cheeky about this one as Rubén Blades hasn’t dropped his role as fan-favorite Daniel Salazar on Fear the Walking Dead, but he’s sure to disappear from the show for long periods.
During an absence, the show confirmed that Daniel is alive and out there, and in case you didn’t know, his disappearances are because he is a successful musician with a five-decade discography.
Taylor Momsen (Gossip Girl) – Becoming a gothic rock star
After three seasons as Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl, Taylor Momsen only appeared in four episodes of the fourth season before leaving the series at the end of the season. But it wasn’t just Gossip Girl that he left behind, he gave up acting entirely to focus on his music career as the lead singer of The Pretty Reckless.
