Why Did Alex Hibbert Leave ‘The Chi’? Actor Thanked “Unwavering” Fans on Instagram

The Gist:

• Alex Hibbert is a former child actor known for his role as Kevin on 'The Chi.'
• In September 2023, Alex announced he was leaving 'The Chi' after six seasons.
• Alex joins several other actors who left 'The Chi'

Fans of The Chi have developed a bond with the characters over the show's run. In Season 6, viewers were surprised when Alex Hibbert, who played Kevin, completed his final scene.

Viewers of the show will undoubtedly feel his absence as it continues in the latest season and beyond. So, what caused Alex to bid farewell to The Chi? Here’s what to know.

Alex's character, Kevin, on The Chi, grew from a young boy struggling with girls to a successful gamer with his own luxurious apartment. In season six, he moves to Los Angeles for a job offer after graduating with his friends Jake (Michael Epps) and Papa (Shamon Brown, Jr.)

“I’m forever grateful for Chicago,” Kevin tells his loved ones at the party. “It made me who I am. And I promise, I promise to go out there and make y’all proud.”

Unsurprisingly, fans who have seen Kevin through many coming-of-age events were sad to see such a pivotal character go. However, the actor who plays him, Alex, seemed ready to move on to something new.

Alex (19) came on to The Chi following the success of his very first movie, Moonlight, in 2016. Since then, he’s consistently worked on The Chi and a few projects in between, like Black Panther and Good Burger 2.

While Alex hasn’t confirmed why exactly he’s leaving The Chi, he shared in a farewell Instagram post that he would “carry” the “lessons” he learned on the series “with me as I move on to new projects.” The actor also shared his desire to move onto the next phase and to see “what the future holds” in his career in a heartfelt goodbye to his fans.

“Dear fans and viewers, it brought tears to my eyes just writing this,” Alex wrote on Instagram in September 2023. “As some of you may already know, today marks my departure from THE CHI.”

“This show has been an important part of my life, and I’m forever grateful to the people who watched me grow up on camera in front of you for several years,” he added. “It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to my castmates, crew members, and all of you who have supported me throughout this incredible journey.”

Although many loyal The Chi watchers will miss Alex and his beloved character, Kevin, we’ve unfortunately been here before with the Showtime drama. Throughout The Chi’s run, several central characters have exited the series, whether it was their choice or not.

One of the most significant cast changes on The Chi set occurred in 2019 when Jason Mitchell, who played Brandon from Seasons 1-2, was fired from the series following multiple complaints of harassment on the set of The Chi and Desperados, a film he was set to star in that same year.

According to Essence, Jason’s former co-star, Tiffany Boone, who played his love interest, Jerrika on The Chi, accused him of harassing her. She felt uncomfortable being on set with him without her fiance, Dear White People actor Marque Richardson.

While Jason and Tiffany’s exits brought much-unwanted attention to the show, several other actors have left The Chi for controversial reasons. According to multiple reports, actor Barton Fitzpatrick quit after his character, Reg, was set to have a transgender woman as his love interest.

Even though Barton never confirmed the rumors were true, the storyline ultimately went to Luke James, Barton’s older brother, and transgender actor Jasmine Davis, who played Luke’s character, Victor’s girlfriend, for two seasons. However, in June 2022, Jasmine also left The Chi, citing the show was a “toxic environment.”

Despite core characters leaving The Chi, the show has continued adding familiar faces to its cast, such as Lynn Whitfield, Iman Shumpert, LaLa Anthony, and Jason Weaver.