Why Did Kellan Lutz Leave 'FBI: Most Wanted'? The Reason Is Heartbreaking

Nathaniel Arcand isn't the only series regular moving on from FBI: Most Wanted. Unfortunately, Kellan Lutz has turned in his badge as Special Agent Kenny Crosby.

After the Season 3 premiere of FBI: Most Wanted, the 36-year-old actor shared a lengthy statement on Instagram, announcing he was leaving the CBS crime drama. Kellan has portrayed Kenny "Ken" Crosby for the entire series, and has even appeared in the role in FBI and FBI: International, the other two shows in the franchise.

Before diving into the reason for his departure, let's recap how Season 2 ended. Viewers were left with a cliffhanger after gunshots were fired and it wasn't clear who the shots had hit.

The gunshot victims are revealed in the Season 3 premiere. While the only casualty is the bad guy, we learn that Special Agent Kenny Crosby was also shot, and that his gunshot wounds are so severe that he's taken off active duty in order to recover.

We like that his character wasn't killed off because it allows for writers and showrunners to bring Kellan back in the future.

So, Kellan Lutz is now out as a series regular, but why did he leave FBI: Most Wanted?

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Kellan Lutz explained the heartbreaking reason for his exit from the show. He made his announcement following the Season 3 premiere of FBI: Most Wanted, saying that after a year full of loss, he wants to spend as much time as he can with his family.

He began his statement by addressing his character's current status: "Wow. What a night! And yes, you saw that correctly, Crosby won’t be chasing down any bad guys for a little while."

"2020 was a lot for everyone to say the least," Kellan wrote. "For me, it started with losing my first daughter, then nearly my wife, and both grandfathers among other things, all in the middle of a global pandemic on the opposite side of the country from my family, friends, and entire support system."

"If 2020 taught me anything, it’s how important family truly is," Kellan continued. "After a lot of prayer and reflection I made the difficult decision to move my growing family back to [California] so our daughter could grow up with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, just a short drive away."

He went on to thank everyone who works on the show, mentioning how supportive and understanding they have been of his decision.

Kellan wrote, "They’ve supported me in the lows and celebrated with me in the highs and I will forever be grateful for everything they’ve done for me."

Concluding his statement, he added, "I will miss the show, my co-stars, production, and most importantly, my character Kenny Crosby, who is named after one of the grandfathers I lost earlier this year, but I have so much peace knowing I made the right decision for my family. I hope Crosby is able to pop in and out here and there in the future, but for now, Crosby over and out."

We respect the decision of Kellan Lutz, and wish him all the best in the future.