It’s good news and bad news for long-suffering Community fans.
Yvette Nicole Brown will officially not come back to the show when it returns for its sixth season on Yahoo Screeen. The actress requested a release from her contract and Sony approved.
“My dad needs daily care and he needs me,” Brown told TVGuide.com. “The idea of being away 16 hours a day for five months, I couldn’t do it. It was a difficult decision for me to make, but I had to choose my dad.”
In a statement, Community EPs Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna described Brown — and her character Shirley — “irreplaceable,” adding, “We are sad to see her go and wish her the very best.”
It appears that Brown will keep her job on CBS’ The Odd Couple.
Brown said she was open to appearing on Community as a guest star.
TVLine reports that in an effort to make up for Brown’s absence, Community has added two new series regulars.
Criminal Minds‘ Paget Brewster will return to the show as a new character (after previously having guest-starred). She joins Enlisted‘s Keith David as the new faces at Greendale.
Brewster — who last January guest-starred on Community as Greendale’s IT department boss, Debra Chambers will now play college consultant Francesca “Frankie” Dart. David’s character is Elroy Patashnik, a retired scientist looking to “reinvent himself.”
