‘Once Upon a Time’ Star Jennifer Morrison Announces Her Departure

Gina Ippolito

It looks like Captain Hook and Emma Swan’s happily-ever-after may be a little short-lived. According to Deadline, Jennifer Morrison won’t be returning as a series regular to Once Upon a Time if the series is renewed for a seventh season.

Jennifer Morrison (Photo: Jack Rowand/ABC)
Jennifer Morrison (Photo: Jack Rowand/ABC)

Following a special musical episode that saw Morrison’s Swan marrying Colin O’Donoghue’s Captain Hook, Morrison, who has been with the show since the beginning, took to Instagram to announce her decision. “As I reached the end of my 6 year contract on Once Upon a Time, I was faced with a significant decision,” the actress wrote. “After very careful consideration, I have decided that creatively and personally, it is time for me to move on.”

As I reached the end of my 6 year contract on ONCE UPON A TIME, I was faced with a significant decision. ABC, Eddy Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz very generously invited me to continue as a series regular. After very careful consideration, I have decided that creatively and personally, it is time for me to move on. Emma Swan is one my favorite characters that I have ever played. My 6 years on ONCE UPON A TIME has changed my life in the most beautiful ways. I am absolutely blown away by the passion and commitment of the Oncer fans. I am so honored to have been a central part of such a special show. I will be forever grateful to Adam, Eddy, and ABC for giving me the gift of playing Emma Swan. As I move on to other creative endeavors, I will continue to attend the fan conventions whenever my professional schedule allows. I always look forward meeting the fans. If ABC Network does in fact order a season 7, I have agreed to appear in one episode, and I will most certainly continue to watch ONCE UPON A TIME. The creativity of the show runners has always inspired me, and I cannot wait to see the ways that they continue to develop and reinvent the show. #Onceuponatime #EmmaSwan #UglyDucklings

A post shared by jenmorrisonlive (@jenmorrisonlive) on May 8, 2017 at 4:48am PDT

Since hearing the news, fans have been tweeting to share their sadness, with one Oncer writing, “How is there a Once Upon a Time without Jennifer!” Another joked, “Will Olivia Wilde now replace Jennifer Morrison” making reference to both actresses’ stints on House, when Wilde was brought in just as Morrison’s role on the show was scaled back.

Morrison is expected to reprise her Once Upon a Time role as a potential guest star. In a statement, show creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz said, “The past six years of collaborating with Jennifer as Emma Swan have been truly magical. Watching her breathe life into Emma, she accomplished more than we could have dreamed possible — she gave life to a brand-new Disney Princess, filled with strength and intelligence and an incredible closet full of red leather jackets. We’ll miss seeing her every day, but her imprint upon Once Upon a Time is indelible. She will always be a part of the show and its heart and soul. That said, just because Jennifer won’t be back every week doesn’t mean we won’t see our savior again.”

The two-hour season finale of Once Upon a Time airs Sunday, May 14, at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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So, what do you think? Will you keep watching even after Morrison exits the show? Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter.