Yvette Nicole Brown is leaving the study group.
The actress is departing “Community” after playing Shirley for five seasons on the comedy. She confirmed her exit, first reported by TV Guide, on Twitter on Tuesday.
Thanks for the years of laughs & love @danharmon @joelmchale @gillianjacobs @dannypudi @alisonbrie @kenjeong @RashIsTVUgly & @donaldglover
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) September 30, 2014
& thanks to the AWESOME #Community fans! You #HumanBeings are forever #StreetsAhead. Thanks for understanding my tough decision & your love
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) September 30, 2014
“Yvette was an integral part of ‘Community’ and is irreplaceable. We are sad to see her go and wish her the very best,” executive producers Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna said in a joint statement.
Yvette said she is leaving the show for personal reasons: namely, to take care of her ailing father.
“My dad needs daily care and he needs me,” Brown told TV Guide. “The idea of being away 16 hours a day for five months, I couldn’t do it. It was a difficult decision for me to make, but I had to choose my dad.”
Yvette also recently booked a role on Matthew Perry’s “The Odd Couple” reboot on CBS, where she’ll be playing an assistant and is eyed as a series regular. She can also be seen in upcoming USA Network comedy “Benched.”
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It’s unclear on how her exit will be addressed, as “Community” has never been a show to sweep a character’s departure under the rug, but Brown said she is “totally open to whatever Dan decides,” which leaves room for a guest appearance.
Brown marks only the latest exit of an actor on the show. Donald Glover left last year, appearing in only five episodes of the fifth season, which gave him a proper send off. Chevy Chase had a heavily publicized exit in 2012, though he did show up in a cameo in the season five premiere. “Breaking Bad’s” Jonathan Banks, who appeared in the fifth season, has also left with a commitment to AMC’s “Better Call Saul.”
“Community” is now apparently casting two new members: A consultant to help Greendale, and a retired salesman looking to reinvent himself at the community college.
Cast members Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash, Alison Brie and Ken Jeong are still set to return.
“Community” found a new home in June on Yahoo Screen after it was canceled by NBC after five seasons on the network. No premiere date for season six has been announced yet, though writing is currently under way.
