14 Stars Who Left TV Shows In Their Prime

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Between Empire, Scandal, and the inevitable Love & Hip-Hop cast off, it’s been a banner year for popular television characters making early exits. Spoilers ahead.

As any Game Of Thrones fan knows, sometimes it can be for dramatic effect or to keep a storyline moving. But cast/staff beefs are a quick way to make the checks stop. These 14 stars who left TV shows in their prime were getting high ratings and in some cases high dollars, but they still had to go for various reasons.

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Photo: VEVO screen capture

photo: WENN

Columbus Short – Scandal

Despite the incredible ratings for Scandal, Columbus Short saw his character get written off after an arrest for domestic violence that was allegedly fueled by that South American nose candy.

Nicki Minaj and Mariah – American Idol

All the diva antics and cat fighting might have been a ratings ploy. If it was, it backfired in glorious fashion when both Nicki and Mimi were told their services were no longer needed after one season on American Idol.

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Nene Leakes – Celebrity Apprentice

“The Donald” was all set to do that corny hand gesture thing and fire Nene Leakes, but she beat him to the punch citing her beef with Star Jones as the underlying reason for bouncing from Celebrity Apprentice.

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Lisa Bonet – A Different World

Whether you blame it on her doing the movie Angel Heart, being pregnant with Zoe Kravitz, or just generally not getting along with Bill Cosby, Lisa Bonet’s run on A Different World was way too short.

Malik Yoba – Empire

First New York Undercover, now Empire? Lucious’ right hand, Vernon Turner, had to go, but contrary to the rumors, it wasn’t due to anything drug-related.

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Idris Elba – The Wire

Hardcore fans of The Wire are still lamenting the demise of Stringer Bell. They want it to be one way, but it’s the other way.

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Sheree Whitfield – Real Housewives Of Atlanta

Whitfield said the direction Real Housewives Of Atlanta was going in no longer fit her lifestyle. But much like any drama-driven reality show, there were behind the scenes rumors of salary demands and diva behavior.

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Tisha Campbell-Martin – Martin

Martin just wasn’t the same without Gina. A sexual harassment suit meant the end of one of television’s favorite couples, as she left the show and only returned for the final three episodes under the condition she and Martin Lawrence couldn’t share scenes.

Aubrey O’Day – Making The Band 3

You know it’s bad when Puff is calling you a diva. Nevertheless, Diddy booted Aubrey off of Making The Band 3 for the world to see back in 2008. The only way it could’ve been funnier was if he made her go get cheesecake.

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Janet Hubert – The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Years later, we learned that alleged salary demands and a longstanding beef with Will Smith was the reason Aunt Viv mysteriously reappeared as a member of #TeamLightSkin after the 1993 season. When Janet Hubert got beef, Daphne Reid got paid.

AJ and Free – 106 & Park

If we’re keeping it real, the beginning of the end of 106 & Park was really when the king of young t-shirts and the queen of the natural bubble bounced in 2005.

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John Amos – Good Times

Between salary beef and a growing frustration with watching the Jimmie Walker jig, John Amos moved to greener pastures. He’ll always hold down the role of James Evans.

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Isaiah Washington – Grey’s Anatomy

Telling Chris Rock to adapt to getting racially profiled wasn’t the first of Washington’s foot in mouth moments. He called T.R. Knight a homophobic slur during an argument, and quickly saw his Grey’s Anatomy checks stop in their tracks.

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Damon Wayans – Saturday Night Live

Wayans had a chance to be the best thing on SNL since Eddie Murphy. When he got frustrated with his small role in the show, he went off script and low key debuted Blaine Edwards from “Men On Film.” Lorne Michaels fired him, but thank you Based God for In Living Color.