Taye Diggs, known for his role as Billy Baker on the hit show All American, has announced his departure from the series in a shocking turn of events.
On Monday night’s episode, Diggs’ character Bill was killed off the series. On Tuesday, Diggs shared an Instagram post, announcing his departure from the show.
He captioned the post, “That’s a wrap! Thank you fans for your unrelenting support. Thank you cast for your energy and unrivaled talent. Y’all are EVERYTHING and will always be. THANK YOU, NnKe For such a graceful exit and for altering the trajectory of my life as an actor, parent and a human being. SO MUCH LOVE.”
View this post on Instagram
A few of the show’s cast members shared heartfelt messages, thanking Diggs for his time on the show.
Karma Westbrook said, “Love you Taye! It was a pleasure and so much fun working with you. We will miss you dearly.”
Lamon Archey wrote, “It was a pleasure to work with you! Thank YOU!!”
Kareem Grimes said, “Thank you for the Laughs and great conversations. Love you bro.”
Fans of the show have been left wondering what this means for the future of their beloved character.
One fan, @iamcoachfancy said, “Nah, this one messed me up too! There could’ve been a better exit lol. They should’ve just ended the season all together, can’t take one of the main characters out and expect to keep the season going with a strong audience, it won’t be the same and wouldn’t be surprised if the numbers drop. I’m sure you had a good reason for leaving, but they should’ve just ended the series with Season 5 at that point lol”
Another user commented, “We need answers! The math ain’t mathing Mr Baker.”
Another wrote, “So how are we supposed to keep watching???? Billy is a key component to the show. Like do you realize the fans real deal cried cuz I know I did… this is bs.”
Related Story: NEW COUPLE ALERT: Taye Diggs And Apryl Jones Confirm Relationship At ‘Incarnation’ Movie Premiere
Diggs, 52, told TVLine, “It was just a feeling that I got [that I was ready to leave], and I just honored that feeling. It was maybe, mid, fourth season. I don’t even remember, to be honest, because the showrunner [Carroll] and myself are close,” he continued. “We’d been keeping in contact, so she had known, and we’d been talking. And we decided how to go about it, and storylines and whatnot, so it was all above board, and everyone was in the know.”
According to People, showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll expressed her gratitude to Taye Diggs for his contributions to the series, saying, “It has been an honor to work with Taye over these last five seasons and to watch him bring such incredible life to the role of Billy Baker,” he said in a statement to PEOPLE. “It has truly been a gift for me and my fellow writers to write a character that was equally flawed and heroic. Billy was all of us, and what a joy it was to watch this character grow as he raised his kids and his football players as one big family.”
“We wish Taye the very best in this next chapter of his life,” she added. “He remains a beloved member of the All American family, so you haven’t seen the last of Billy Baker.”
The series has already been renewed for its sixth season.
