S.W.A.T. is losing another family member. Not long after the CBS drama was surprisingly renewed for an eighth season, news broke that Rochelle Aytes, who plays Nichelle Carmichael, will not be returning as a series regular. Why is Rochelle Aytes leaving S.W.A.T.? Keep reading to find out.
Why is Rochelle Aytes leaving S.W.A.T.?
Fans were shocked when S.W.A.T. was renewed for another season. CBS cancelled the crime drama after Season 6 before reversing their decision and renewing it for a seventh and final season. Following the success of Season 7, the network un-cancelled the show for a second time and ordered a full-season run that will consist of 22 episodes.
Unfortunately, new contracts had to be drawn up for the cast upon S.W.A.T.‘s Season 8 renewal and fan-favorite Rochelle Aytes was not asked back as a series regular. Aytes has starred as Nichelle Carmichael since Season 3. Nichelle is a worker at the local community center, as well as the love interest of Sergeant II Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (played by Shemar Moore). She and Hondo welcomed a daughter named Vivianne in Season 6 and got married in Season 7. S.W.A.T. also marked the second time Aytes and Moore have played each other’s love interests. The pair previously starred on Criminal Minds as married couple Dr. Savannah Hayes and Special Agent Derek Morgan.
It’s unclear why Aytes was not invited back for Season 8, but according to our sister site Deadline, producers are hoping that she will recur as Nichelle. Additionally, the show will be adding a new female S.W.A.T. team member as a recurring guest star with the possibility of becoming a series regular.
While S.W.A.T. fans are sad to be losing Aytes, the actress won’t be leaving our screens entirely. Shortly after Aytes’ demotion, she booked a lead role on the upcoming CBS medical drama Watson, which is inspired by the characters from Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries. The new series will star Morris Chestnut and it is described as a medical show with a strong investigative spine, featuring a modern version of one of history’s greatest detectives as he turns his attention from solving crimes to solving medical mysteries.
Aytes will play Dr. Mary Morstan, one of the best surgeons on the East Coast, and the Medical Director of the hospital. She is equally adept at being a voice of reason for and serving reality checks to her ex-husband, Dr. Watson (Chestnut). She has great respect for Watson and, while she appreciates his sleuthing when it comes to medical mysteries, she can also become irritated by his unorthodox approach to the business of medicine.
The series is scheduled for a midseason premiere and begins filming in Canada this month. S.W.A.T., on the other hand, films in California and is set to premiere in Fall 2024. It is not yet known if Aytes will be able to film both shows, but for Hondo and Nichelle’s sake, fans are hoping for at least a few guest appearances from Aytes.
The future of several other series regulars were left hanging in the balance, as their characters were written off in Season 7 in order to give them a proper ending. This group includes Alex Russell as Jim Street, Kenny Johnson as Dominique Luca and Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay. Deadline did not specifically mention the actors by name, but the outlet did note that all series regulars, aside from Aytes, will be returning.
S.W.A.T. streams on Paramount+.