One Chicago has experienced several surprise cast exits and shakeups in 2026.
In September 2026, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut confirmed she wasn’t reprising her role as Naomi. Chestnut previously appeared in season 9 and 10 before viewers started to question her future on the show.
Executive producer Allen MacDonald later addressed concerns that Naomi was written off after she reappeared in season 11.
“I understand the misunderstanding of that. We love Ashlei Sharpe Chesnut; she’s phenomenal. We never intended to write her out,” MacDonald told Deadline in October 2025. “We always knew she was going to be back this season. But with everything that happened with Dr. Hayes and her leaving the hospital, I don’t blame the audience for thinking she was gone.”
MacDonald hinted at plans to expand Naomi’s story.
“I saw in a lot of the articles that I definitely don’t read every night that they thought she had left for good, but that was never the intention,” he continued. “And as you know, she’s back, and for the season.”
Chestnut isn’t the only one who won’t be returning to the One Chicago franchise. The One Chicago universe has often faced cast shakeups. NBC’s president of program planning Jeff Bader previously addressed the way Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. have often lost fan-favorite characters.
“Cast comes in, cast goes out,” Bader told TVLine in July 2024. “It’s interesting, because every year there are cast changes, and every year someone asks the same question about what’s going on within the One Chicago universe. But [those shows] just keep going on.”
Bader noted that each of the Chicago shows have continued to find success, adding, “We’re thrilled with how the Chicagos do on Wednesday. We have no plans on changing anything on that night.”
Keep scrolling to see which cast members are leaving the One Chicago franchise in 2026:
Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (‘Chicago Med’)
Chestnut, who played Naomi since season 9, was asked via TikTok in September whether she is coming back to the NBC series.
“I haven’t seen in you ages hope you’re doing well:) can I ask will you be returning to Chicago Med?” read a fan comment, to which Chestnut replied, “Thank you! Hope you’re well too:) And no.”
Dermot Mulroney (‘Chicago Fire’)
Mulroney will wrap up his story line in the show’s upcoming 15th season after joining two seasons prior.
Joe Miñoso (‘Chicago Fire’)
News broke in July 2026 that Miñoso is leaving the hit NBC series. Miñoso played firefighter Joe Cruz since Chicago Fire premiered in 2012. He is expected to appear in several episodes during season 15.
LaRoyce Hawkins (‘Chicago P.D.’)
Hawkins will be leaving the NBC series after 13 seasons as a series regular. He will wrap up his character Kevin Atwater’s arc in the first few episodes of season 14.
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