Detective Kate Beckett is leaving Castle.
Stana Katic, the actress who plays the police investigator on the ABC crime series, will not be returning for Season 9 to work opposite Nathan Fillion's writer-turned-detective Rick Castle.
The network confirmed the departure and said in a statement: “Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series Castle for the past 8 years. We are grateful for Stana Katic’s talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship."
And while Katic's Beckett is a lead on the show, another actress who plays a major character is also leaving: Tamala Jones. Jones plays medical examiner Lanie Parish.
Of her departure, the network said: "Tamala Jones has also been an integral part of the series and we are grateful she was a part of Castle."
The series has not yet been picked up for Season 9, but fans now know that these two familiar faces will not be returning.
Katic released a statement to Deadline.com about her exit: "Rather than distract from what was an amazing experience I would just like to say that Im very grateful to ABC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of a much beloved show. Thank you to the fans."
Jones also released a statement to Deadline: "I've had so much fun playing the wonderful and unfiltered 'Lanie' over the past eight seasons. I will greatly miss the cast and crew — it's been a privilege getting to work with this incredibly hard working group of people. Thank you to ABC for this opportunity and to the fans for their unwavering support. It's been an incredible journey and I can't wait for what lies ahead!"
