Demore Barnes Gets Candid About His Exit From 'Law & Order': 'I Don’t Totally Know Why This Happened'

Over the last two decades, we’ve been forced to say goodbye to many of our favorite Law & Order: Special Victims Unit characters. Detective John Munch was a lead character for 15 years before his departure, and who can forget good old Captain Cragen, who left the series in 2014 to follow his heart.

We’ve seen several cast members come and go, and in Elliot Stabler’s case, come back again. But it appears that it may be the end of the road for SVU actor Demore Barnes, who is seemingly getting his exit story in the Season 23 premiere. Now fans are wondering, was Demore fired from Law & Order: SVU? Detective Garland just got demoted.

Reports do not indicate that Demore was fired, but his statement on social media confirmed that he didn’t leave the show by his own volition. In an emotional video posted on Instagram, Demore revealed that he was just as shocked about his exit from SVU as everyone else.

Following the announcement, the actor shared that he had recently suffered a tragic loss and declined to comment about his departure from the series, but in mid-September, Demore broke his silence. In his statement, he thanks both the network and his cast members for welcoming him with open arms.

Demore initially joined the cast of SVU in Season 21 as a recurring character and became the show’s first Black deputy chief. Ahead of Season 22, both Demore and Jamie Gray Hyder, who played detective ​​Katriona Tamin, were promoted to series regulars.

“What I know is that it is almost every actor’s desired right of passage to appear on one episode of SVU, and yet here I am. I’ve not only gone on to do more than one episode, but I know I’ve done it with style,” he shared in his statement. Demore disclosed that he didn’t know why he was let go, but he thanked showrunners for the opportunity.

“While I know you were happy that I was here, and that I’m happy that I was here, I also know you’re sad and surprised and I am too,” Demore said in a video that now has more than 14,000 views. “I don’t totally know why this happened.”

Demore’s departure from the show makes us all want to shed a tear. But he wasn’t the only cast member to leave the SVU squad following the Season 22 finale. So, why did Kat leave SVU? Here’s what we know about Jamie’s departure from the show.

In early September, it was also announced that Kat would be leaving the series. Neither showrunners nor Jamie has disclosed the reason for her exit, but her statement on Twitter suggests that the news was a shock to the actress.

Although Deputy Chief Garland and Kat haven’t been on the show long, their absence won’t go unnoticed to viewers, who speculate that their exit was due to their lack of popularity among SVU fans.

Tune into the Season 23 premiere of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.