Despite having an integral role and a promising future in the ABC police procedural, Afton Williamson departed from The Rookie after season 1. The series debuted in 2018 with a premise following John Nolan (played by actor Nathan Fillion), a 45-year-old Pennsylvanian divorcee who pursues a new career as a police officer in the LAPD. His late occupation shift makes him the oldest rookie on the force, and The Rookie explores his determination to overcome ageist skepticism and the dangerously unpredictable nature of the job. In The Rookie season 1, Nolan courageously begins training in the LAPD’s rookie program
Under Afton Williamson’s training officer, Talia Bishop, Nolan begins to learn the ropes and, at times, is allowed to take charge out on the field. Bishop is not only essential to Nolan’s growth in the LAPD, but she also has important goals of her own – to rise in the ranks and eventually become Chief of Police. In a shocking and unexpected turn of events, Bishop’s training of Nolan and aspiration toward becoming the LAPD’s chief were curtailed when Williamson quit The Rookie in 2019 after serious claims of behind-the-scenes conflict.
Afton Williamson Left The Rookie Amid Allegations Of Discrimination & Harassment
Williamson Alleged The BTS Conflicts Lasted Throughout The Rookie Season 1
Per the Los Angeles Times, Williamson’s allegations first came out when The Rookie star publicized her departure from the series on Instagram in early August 2019. In a post, she announced that she would not be returning for The Rookie season 2 because she endured racial discrimination and racially charged comments from the production’s hair department and bullying from executive producers. Williamson also alleged to have encountered sexual harassment at the hands of The Rookie’s recurring guest star, Demetrius Grosse and harassment that escalated into assault by hair department head Sally Ciganovich. See Williamson’s full post below:
Over a month after Williamson’s allegations, the production studio behind The Rookie, eOne, released a statement revealing that an independent third-party investigation had cleared those accused of inappropriate conduct. To this, Williamson replied in another Instagram post:
“What saddens me the most is that the lengths that were taken to Deceive, Lie, and Cover Up the Truth, were far greater than those made to Protect and Maintain a Safe Working Environment for Employees.”
The conflict seemed to have fizzled out after Williamson’s response but not before leaving calamity in its wake. The Rookie prematurely lost one of its main cast members – and, while it’s unclear whether the actress decided to leave the public spotlight behind or had trouble finding roles after speaking out, Williamson has not had many acting credits since.
How The Rookie Wrote Out Talia Bishop
Bishop Silently Leaves The LAPD To Become An ATF Special Agent
Following Williamson’s departure, The Rookie wrote out Bishop very early on in season 2. In the season 2 premiere “Impact,” it is revealed that Bishop quit the LAPD and joined the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives as a special agent. The Rookie development wasn’t too hard to believe, as Bishop made a reprehensible decision in the course of the first season that would have put her job at stake at some point in the future of the series. More specifically, Bishop omitted information she should have included in her application to the police academy.
Although Bishop later rectified her actions, The Rookie used her mistake as a strategy for Williamson’s character exit, where she’d moved on to the ATF to start her career anew.
In season 1, episode 18, entitled “Homefront,” audiences meet Bishop’s estranged foster brother, Dylan Scott (Caleb Castille). Bishop struggled to reconnect with Dylan not because she didn’t want to but because she was ashamed of his former illegal activities. Her foster brother’s criminal history weighed on her mind to the point that she didn’t list their relationship on her academy application. Although Bishop later rectified her actions, The Rookie used her mistake as a strategy for Williamson’s character exit, where she’d moved on to the ATF to start her career anew.
