Why Did the Fiona Leave ‘Shameless’ After 9 Seasons? Here's Everything We Know

When a television show is on the air for several seasons, there are bound to be characters that say their goodbyes at some point, leaving fans grieving their departure — and in the case of Showtime’s long-running dramedy series Shameless, many fans hated to see the character of Fiona leave after nine seasons.

Portrayed by actor Emmy Rossum, Fiona was an original character on the show and the eldest daughter of the Gallagher family, and fans quickly grew attached through the character and all her ups and downs throughout her time on Shameless.

In the series’ ninth season, Fiona descends into a severe downward spiral with alcohol abuse, brought on by a bad business investment that ultimately leaves her bankrupt.

However, after tough love from her family due to her behavior causing her to reevaluate her life, coupled with a reversal of fortune resulting in a financial windfall, Fiona decides to leave her family behind in Chicago with a large sum of money as a gift.

In a 2015 interview with Collider ahead of the show’s fifth season, Emmy talked about what she liked about playing Fiona. “She’s really finding herself. She’s mentally very restless and can’t quite figure out who she is. She’s trying to put herself in context, in terms of who her parents are, who she should be, who she could be, and who she was and who she wants to be,” Emmy said.

“She walks that fine line between wanting to be a good person and wanting to do the good and right thing, by herself and by her family, morally. She also knows that she has the addict mentality in her blood, and in her nature and her nurture. It’s fun to walk that line,” she continued.

Following the announcement in August 2018 that she would be leaving the series, Emmy shared that attachment she will always have to Fiona. "I will never be saying goodbye to Fiona," she said in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly. "Fiona is a part of me and has been like every character is a part of you and you are a little bit part of them.”

“My Shameless family is really my second family, and I've spent so much time with them — 10,000 hours — that it really feels like we've all grown up together. I started on the show when I was 23, and now I'm not. [Laughs.] And it's a wonderful, wonderful amount of time, and I feel incredibly proud of everything we have created. I'm just filled with gratitude for everyone's hard work,” she continued.

Following Emmy’s departure, Shameless ran for two additional seasons, 10 and 11, with the series finale airing on April 21, 2021. During its time on the air, the series was critically acclaimed with multiple awards recognition, including the Emmy Awards, Critic’s Choice Awards, and the Golden Globes.