The Chi’s Lynn Whitfield & Yolonda Ross on Leaving After Season 7

Lynn Whitfield and Yolonda Ross recently discussed leaving The Chi in Season 7, sharing behind-the-scenes details about their characters’ storylines and final moments. They reflected on filming emotional scenes and revealed when they learned their characters’ fates in the long-running series.

Lynn Whitfield opens up on leaving The Chi in Season 7

Lynn Whitfield, who portrayed Alicia Daniels Lafayette, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that she learned of her character’s death “somewhere mid-season, maybe the fifth episode or so.”

She noted that the last time she played a character who died in a violent way was in her role as Rae in the 1985 film Silverado. “It was really an interesting journey for me,” Whitfield said, adding she thought there was “a possibility for [Alicia] to learn something, particularly with her grandson coming.”

The identity of Alicia’s killer was decided late in production. “We didn’t know until the last episode who was going to do it. I would like to have been in the writers’ room [as] they were deciding,” Whitfield noted. When Whitfield first joined The Chi, she was initially planned to appear in just three episodes. However, her role ended up being expanded to two seasons. “So many of my fans who hadn’t been watching this show started watching the show,” she said.

The Chi’s Yolonda Ross reflects on exit before Season 8

Yolonda Ross, who has played Jada since The Chi’s debut season in 2018, said, “They’ve grown to really love Jada, which I so appreciate. And they know my name.” Ross described Jada as “a Black woman that holds it down” and valued showing audiences her personal life and challenges.

Jada’s season seven arc revealed her cancer had returned, leading to a “living funeral” arranged by her husband Darnell. Ross recalled the emotional impact, especially filming with Jacob Latimore, who plays her son Emmett in the show, saying, “He couldn’t even get through the lines… and he made me break down.”

She reflected on portraying Jada’s cancer battle in season four, explaining, “The cutting of my hair was the hardest for me… In that moment, you’re thinking about Jada’s mortality, thinking about your own mortality.” Ross credited the show’s longevity to “the viewers… their love for the show, the characters, they have invested in us.”

All seven seasons of The Chi can be streamed on Paramount+ with Showtime.