Did Jennifer Love Hewitt leave 9-1-1?

Jennifer Love Hewitt’s character, Maddie, has abruptly left Chimney and her daughter on 9-1-1 Season 5. Has the actress left the series for good?

At the end of 9-1-1 Season 5, Episode 3, Maddie dropped a bombshell on Chimney. She’s left, but did take baby Jee-yun to the firehouse first. She needed to make sure Jee-yun was cared for until Chimney got home, and she also left a message to say not to search for her.

Maddie is suffering from postnatal depression. That is why she’s left. It’s her mental illness and not because she doesn’t love Chimney or Jee-yun. In her mind, she’ll be doing the best thing for everyone.

But it’s left a huge question for fans of the series. Has Jennifer Love Hewitt left the series?

Is Jennifer Love Hewitt leaving 9-1-1?

Right now, Hewitt is gone. She’s probably not going to be on the show for a while. The question is whether the exit is permanent.

I don’t think it will be. Before 9-1-1 Season 5 premiere, showrunner Tim Minear explained that “It will end up creating a major complication for Season 5.” This could just be the major complication with everyone figuring out life without Maddie, but it isn’t the greatest storyline that this could be.

Postnatal depression is a very real problem that isn’t talked about a lot. Mothers who suffer from postnatal depression tend to be stigmatized and judged. Having a TV show like 9-1-1 touch on it allows a chance to raise awareness and make it clear that it shouldn’t be stigmatized. New mothers need support.

We’ve seen the series take these types of topics seriously in the past. Look at Bobby and his guilt and grief, and look at Athena with her PTSD. I doubt the show is finished with Maddie’s postnatal depression. The show just needed to write her out for a while after she welcomed her third child into the world. We’ll probably see her again when she’s back from maternity leave.

What do you think of Maddie’s story on 9-1-1? What do you hope to see moving forward? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

9-1-1 airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX. Catch up the following day on Hulu.