Chicago Fire star Jake Lockett finally broke his silence over his controversial exit from the beloved NBC series.
On Monday, April 28, the actor, 40—who portrays Sam Carver in Chicago Fire—took to Instagram with a direct message for fans about leaving the show.
"While I don’t exactly know what the future looks like, I do know that it won’t be exactly what it was and I am going to miss the hell out of that," Lockett declared. "So much pride in this journey."
He continued, "It’s been an honor bringing Sam to life and to every one of you, thank you for the love and support over the past three years."
Lockett concluded his update with a shout-out to his Chicago Fire co-stars next to a montage of behind-the-scenes clips.
"And most importantly, the people that I was on the ground with day and night… thank you for the family you are and times you have been and will be there for me," he shared. "If you’re not in one of these clips, there will be more to follow. So many cherished memories."
In addition to Lockett, Daniel Kyri, who portrays Darren Ritter, is reportedly leaving the show after Season 13, Deadline reported on April 16.
Lockett's Instagram followers once again lamented his exit from Chicago Fire after joining the series in Season 11.
One wrote, "Nooo 😭 you're supposed to end up with Violet!! Not a fan of this revolving door with Chicago characters!"
Another fan pointed out, "Every single time I get a character I’m attached too they either die off or leave NOOOOOO he became my favorite after Jimmy ugh I could cry 🥹🙃."
Someone else shared, "I’m so disappointed that the show is choosing to do this! You’ve become one of my favorite characters!!"
Meanwhile, yet another viewer declared, "The show won’t be the same without you!"
Catch new episodes of Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.
