Sumith Prasad
The sixth episode of NBC’s medical series ‘Chicago Med’ season 8 follows an eventful day in Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Dr. Crockett Marcel deals with the fame has garnered overnight while Dr. Will Halstead deals with a patient who is close to his heart. Dr. Dean Archer struggles with his injuries as he seeks comfort in painkillers without letting anyone know about the same. But the episode’s most startling moment has to be Dr. Vanessa Taylor making a decision that can change her life forever. Vanessa’s decision paved the way for Asjha Cooper’s exit from the show. But why did the actress really leave the medical drama? Let us share what we know! SPOILERS AHEAD.
What Happened to Vanessa?
The show’s eighth season follows an intriguing phase of Vanessa’s career. Since Gaffney and all other hospitals in Chicago have been facing a severe shortage of medications, she procures medication illegally to save the life of her patient. Her superiors and colleagues, including her mother Maggie Lockwood, come to know about the same. Maggie confronts her daughter about making such a decision. In the sixth episode of the eighth season, Vanessa treats a patient named Samir Baqri, a business known globally for setting up medical clinics for the needy and underprivileged.
Vanessa and Maggie team up to find the cause of Samir’s illness but lab results do not offer them any valuable information. Still, Vanessa’s determination to help Samir makes her work hard enough to finally diagnose Samir’s illness. Impressed by Vanessa’s efficiency and work ethic, Samir offers her a spot in his team that will run a clinic in the Philippines to help the locals. Since she has been longing to get out of Chicago, she accepts Samir’s offer and decides to leave Gaffney. She lets her mother know about the same. After the broadcast of the episode, NBC announced that Asjha Cooper left the medical drama. If you are wondering why, here’s everything we know about the same.
Why Did Asjha Cooper Leave Chicago Med?
As of now, neither NBC nor Asjha Cooper released a statement revealing the explicit reason behind the actress’ exit from ‘Chicago Med.’ Cooper hasn’t announced any committed projects recently, indicating that her exit from the medical drama most likely is not due to scheduling conflicts. It is possible that the actress left the show just because her character Vanessa’s story arc got concluded with the sixth episode of season 8. Vanessa is introduced in the sixth season of the show as the unknown biological daughter of Maggie.
She’s going! A New Journey Begins! Will miss this one! 😭 #ChicagoMed pic.twitter.com/Umqe8zjh22
— Marlyne Barrett (@barrettmarlyne) November 3, 2022
Vanessa’s storyline prominently revolves around the conflicts and tensions that arise when she enters the life of her biological mother Maggie. Although their relationship hasn’t had a smooth progression at first, they eventually reconnect as a daughter and mother, concluding the aforementioned conflicts and tensions. By the eighth season, Vanessa and Maggie nurture an appealing relationship, with almost nothing left to explore in the same. Thus, writers of the medical drama might have decided to wrap Vanessa’s storyline to shift the focus of Maggie’s storyline to another element.
After Cooper’s exit, Marlyne Barrett expressed how much the actress will be missed in the show. “She’s going! A New Journey Begins! Will miss this one!” Barrett shared. Although Cooper will be missed in the upcoming episodes of the show, we can look forward to seeing her in exciting projects in the future.
Read More: Does Dr. Blake Leave for Boston? Did Sarah Rafferty Leave Chicago Med?
