Zoe McLellan left NCIS: New Orleans years ago but do you know the real reason why? With fans curious about her role and even her present work, here is what happened when she left the cast list of this popular drama series.
Back in the day, CBS was eager to put down a new series for their NCIS franchise in the works. This proved to all of us that the prior ones were going on well. I mean, they have substantial plots which do not feel repetitive even after going on for longer seasons. This is what kept all the watchers hooked on the series. Even the characters have been beautifully placed, which makes up for half the entertainment that the fans seek from the series.
With New Orleans, a fresh cast was appointed in order to make a brand new spinoff and storyline of the original shows. Dwayne Cassius Pride was in the lead, and the watchers got affected by the way he used to solve crimes in the city and responded to the emergency mission at such short notice with all his team onboard. After such a great start, there was nothing that could stop the show from growing, and it took no time to span six seasons of the series.
About Zoe’s Character Merri On NCIS New Orleans
One of the cast members which we all loved and adored was Zoe, of course. She was seen in the initial two installments of the show, but we had to bid her farewell soon. Zoe played the part of Meredith Brody, also known as Merri among her mates. Her character was a strong seed in the team as she performed all of her cases and tasks apply with a huge load of ambition and a spark in her eyes.
As she entered Crescent City after being shifted to New Orleans from the Chicago Department, we saw her being tense as well. As the mystery unraveled, it turned out that her twin sister was murdered, and she is still not over the tragic loss. Merri’s achievements include being intelligent and also a black belt in aikido which made up for some of the best fight sequences ever.
From the very start, the fans admired her beauty and sense of responsibility, and thus, it came kind of as a shock to all of us when she left the screen back in the second season. At that point in time, there was not much information regarding why she left the show in the first place. I mean, there were rumors for sure but now that four years have passed since the incident, let us take a look back and analyze everything that went down with the actress.
Why Did Zoe McLellan Leave NCIS New Orleans?
As per the reports issued by the creators, they said that having Zoe removed from the show was a creative decision. There was no foul play, and the writers genuinely wrote her out of the show after two seasons because they wanted a vacancy to let in a new character from the third season. This would help them move the story forward and not feel stale at all.
But well, there were other reports in the media regarding why Zoe McLellan left her role on NCIS. It was reported that she bagged a series of regular roles in the penultimate season of Designated Survivor. At that time, there were rumors that she quit this series in order to go on and venture into more opportunities for her in the industry.
The Real Reason Zoe McLellan Left NCIS New Orleans
But more investigations in 2017 revealed further reasons. There was a report about CBS Showrunner Brad Kern. Turned out that Kern made some very sexist remarks and was racist to the production crew and casts of NCIS New Orleans. In the heat of the moment, there were a variety of crew members, writers, and cast who quit the series at that time.
Turns out that Kern also made remarks about her and orchestrated her exit because men actually did not find her sexually appealing. There were a lot of people who came forward and confirmed these reports against him. This means the real reason behind Zoe’s exit from NCIS New Orleans was workplace discrimination.
