Why did Taye Diggs leave All American? Exit of star, explained

Taye Diggs is nowhere to be found in the recent episodes of The CW sports drama series, All American, and there is a good reason behind that. The actor who was part of the hit show's main cast exited the show during its fifth season after his character was killed off in an accident.

On the day of the release of the February 13, 2024 episode(titled Time) in which he was killed off, Diggs's interview with Entertainment Weekly was published in which he spoke about the reasons that led him to take the difficult decision of departing from the show. He said:

"It was just a feeling. I approached [showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll] very tentatively and said "I haven't make any decisions, but this is what I'm thinking," and she understood."

He also spoke about the support he received from showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll after he had revealed his decision.

"From that point on, she started giving me ideas of how I'd exit and they were so great. As soon as she told me what she was thinking, I loved it. I love being on the show. Actors just have an inner feeling. I had done all that I could and this chapter had kind of closed and I was willing to try something else."

---

Why did Taye Diggs leave All American?

Taye Diggs's character Billy Baker, in All American was killed off in the eleventh episode of the show's fifth season due to the actor's decision to quit the show. Following his exit, Diggs spoke about it explicitly, revealing that the decision was entirely personal.

He revealed to EW that his inner actor greatly influenced his decision to leave the show. He also added that when he first decided to leave the show he believed that he had already offered everything there was to offer via his character's portrayal and anything beyond that would lead to oversaturation. Thus, it was time for him to leave and take on other projects.

---

How did Taye Diggs thank All American fans after his departure?

Taye Diggs's departure and his character's death in All American shocked fans as it had not been previously hinted at. For the uninitiated, Digg's character Billy Baker was killed while trying to save a student trapped in a bus that was hanging at the edge of a cliff.

Following the release of the episode, Diggs took to Instagram to thank his fans for their unwavering support. With a picture of himself from the set of the show, he wrote in the captions:

"That’s a wrap! Thank you fans for your unrelenting support. Thank you cast for your energy and unrivaled talent. Y’all are EVERYTHING and will always be. THANK YOU, NnKe For such a graceful exit and for altering the trajectory of my life as an actor, parent and a human being. SO MUCH LOVE."

---

Will Taye Diggs return to All American if presented with the opportunity?

Although Taye Diggs has officially exited All American, he has not closed the door behind him. Hinting at the possibility of returning to the hit show, Diggs revealed during a conversation with TVLine in May 2023 that his character may make a return in the future “in the context of the boys are struggling, and they kind of envision me giving sage advice."

Additionally, show frontrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll also revealed during a conversation with The Wrap in February 2023 that Diggs was open to the idea of reprising Billy's character in the future if there is a requirement.

---

All episodes of All American are currently streaming on The CW's official site.