The lengthy wait for All American Season 6 is almost over, but a shocking piece of casting news has dropped just days ahead of the premiere.
TVLine reports that Hunter Clowdus is officially out of the show after five seasons playing JJ Parker.
The official confirmation comes months after the actor hinted his time on the show was over in response to a fan on Instagram.
During the extended hiatus, fans wondered if Clowdus was leaving The CW football drama.
In response to a fan questioning his departure, the actor said that he didn’t want to walk away from the show.
“I wanted to give the fans that character proper closure,” he dished, adding that he “began to feel very unwelcome there and it was really taking a toll” on his mental health.
Hunter Clowdus did not choose to leave All American
The star conceded that the show ultimately decided “to not continue JJ’s character.”
News of the departure now makes us wonder whether the show was toying with the idea of writing him out last season because JJ was seen as relying on drinking.
As the season progressed, he spiraled out of control and steered clear of many of the closest people to him.
The good news is that there was some resolution for JJ when he kicked his habit and sought help.
There’s a chance that JJ’s whereabouts will be mentioned during All American Season 6, but it doesn’t sound like Clowdus will return to the show in any capacity.
Many CW shows have lost cast members recently
It’s hard to tell why the show decided to write out the actor and not bring him back for Season 6 without knowing the details of what happened on set.
While many CW shows were canceled—like Legacies and Dynasty—as the network got new leadership, shows like Superman and Lois remain on the air, with some cast changes due to the budget.
This cast change for All American may be due to budgetary concerns, and more people could depart as the season airs.
The series already lost Taye Diggs, who played Billy Butcher in the first five seasons.
The confirmed cast so far includes Daniel Ezra (Spencer), Bre-Z (Tamia “Coop” Cooper), Greta Onieogou (Layla), Samantha Logan (Olivia), Michael Evans Behling (Jordan), Cody Christian (Asher), Karimah Westbrook (Grace), Monet Mazur (Laura), Jalyn Hall (Dillon), and Chelsea Tavares (Patience).
Brent Jennings (Willie), Mitchell Edwards (Cam), Da’Vinchi (Darnell), and Kareen J. Grimes (Cordell) round out the All American Season 6 cast.
All American Season 6 is set to premiere Monday, April 1, at 8/7c on The CW.