‘9-1-1’: Why did Rockmond Dunbar exit the show?

Actor Rockmond Dunbar left fans teary-eyed as he quit the Fox series, 9-1-1. According to reports, the star decided to exit the show after the network and 20th Television made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory.

Rockmond Dunbar was denied a religious and medical exemption that led him to exit the show. In a statement, the 9-1-1 actor said:

“I applied for religious and medical accommodations pursuant to the law and unfortunately was denied by my employer. My sincerely held beliefs and private medical history are very intimate and personal aspects of my life that I do not publicly discuss and have no desire to start now. I’ve been an actor in this business for 30 years, but my greatest roles are as a husband and father to our four small children. As a man that walks in faith, I look forward to what the future holds.”

The actor, who was part of the show for five seasons, shared the news on social media.

Although the reports indicate that Rockmond Dunbar left 9-1-1, an official statement from 20th Television reads that employees who are not vaccinated will not be eligible to work.

Take a look at the statement:

“We take the health and safety of all of our employees very seriously and have implemented a mandatory vaccination confirmation process for those working in Zone A on our productions. In order to ensure a safer workplace for all, Zone A personnel who do not confirm their vaccination status and do not meet the criteria for exemption will not be eligible to work.”

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Here’s how 9-1-1 showed Rockmond Dunbar’s exit

The latest, eighth episode of 9-1-1 Season 5 was Rockmond Dunbar’s last day on the show. Titled Defend in Place, his character, Michael Grant, is on the way to the hospital to propose to his neurosurgeon boyfriend, David Hale (La Monde Byrd). Unfortunately, an explosion takes place that interrupts his proposal plans.

While the hospital has been ordered to evacuate, David stays behind to operate on his patient. After the operation, the 9-1-1 team rescues David, and he then reunites with Michael, who is waiting for him outside the hospital.

Their emotional reunion ends with their engagement, as David says “yes” to Michael’s proposal. The episode ends with the latter informing his family that he will leave with David, who earlier announced that he would be jetting off to Haiti to work with a hurricane relief team.

This is how two major fan-favorite characters left the series.

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Will Rockmond Dunbar ever return to 9-1-1?

Rockmond Dunbar has been a part of 9-1-1 from the beginning and shares a good relationship with the showrunner/executive producer, Tim Minear. While his character had less screen time from seasons two to four, the latest season showed more of him.

But the vaccine issue became a barrier, and Rockmond Dunbar had to quit the show. Going by the way his character left, there is a chance that he might return after the vaccine problem is resolved legally.

In his statement, Rockmond Dunbar said:

“I have enjoyed the last five seasons with this wonderful cast and crew and will cherish the time I’ve been blessed to spend with this series and wish everyone involved nothing but the best.”

Meanwhile, 9-1-1 continues to air on FOX every Monday at 8.00 pm (ET). For more information, check local listings.