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We’re still not over Natalie’s exit from Chicago Med in the Season 7 premiere. So, why did Natalie Manning leave Chicago Med? Read on as we break down Torrey DeVitto’s exit and the story arc that got her character fired from Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.
Chicago Med is NBC’s medical drama that follows the personal and professional lives of doctors and nurses in the emergency department of the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, the series is the third spin-off in the One Chicago franchise, which also includes Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and the now-canceled Chicago Justice. It first premiered in 2015 and is currently on its 10th season.
Torrey DeVitto starred on the first six seasons as the beloved Dr. Natalie Manning. When viewers first met Natalie, she was a pregnant and single mother-to-be. Prior the events of the pilot, her husband was killed in action during his deployment overseas. Natalie went on to welcome their son, Owen, and date Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss).
Fans were shocked when Natalie was written off the show in the Season 7 premiere, and although she returned for a guest appearance in Season 8, we’re still wondering what went down behind-the-scenes. Below, we have everything there is to know about Torrey DeVitto’s departure and the end of Natalie Manning’s storyline.
Why did Natalie Manning leave Chicago Med?
Writers started planning Natalie’s exit in Season 6, when she stole an experimental drug for her mother after her condition worsened. Although Halstead tried to take the blame for the missing meds, Natalie eventually spoke up and confessed what she did. This deteriorated Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) and the rest of the Emergency Department’s trust in Natalie.
In the premiere episode of season 7, she was let go for stealing the medication. Halstead helped Natalie pack up her car, as she decided to move elsewhere with her son Owen. “I’m going to be okay,” she told Will. She also told him that he should try to get his job back because she felt bad about her role in his firing. The two hugged and they promised to keep in touch.
Shortly after the episode aired, then-showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov spoke to our sister site TVLine about Natalie’s farewell and her future.
“We also wanted to give closure to his long-running relationship with Natalie. That relationship was so integral to the show for six years, and we felt we owed it to the audience and the characters to give them a goodbye,” Schneider told the outlet. Froloy added: “As for where Natalie’s off to next, “She’s, right now, going back to Seattle, where she’s from, and being with her family. Her mom is from there, and she’s going to be getting a gig at a hospital there.”
Schneider also assured that Natalie is at a good hospital and her “career is not damaged” by her actions at Gaffney. “She is going to be fine,” he concluded. In the Season 8 finale, it was revealed that Natalie and Halstead had stayed in touch and decided to rekindle their relationship. After a brief return to Chicago, she and Halstead rode off into the sunset together with her son.
Why Did Torrey DeVitto Leave Chicago Med?
At the time, DeVitto did not explain why she was leaving Chicago Med, but now, nearly three years later, the actress is opening about the real reason for her exit.
She continued: “I was so grateful because without it being a mutual conversation I would have never done it on my own because of the consistent paycheck, But I also knew that I was creeping up to that time where I was like, ‘If I really wanted to focus on this personal life stuff, I gotta go.’”
DeVitto added that she “a great time” during her six years on the show, noting that it was the right time to leave. Ahead of her final episode, DeVitto dedicated an emotional tribute to Chicago Med on Instagram. “Well, looks like the cat is out of the bag…All good things must come to an end,” she wrote alongside several photos from her time on the series. “It has been such an honor and pure joy to bring Dr. Natalie Manning to life for all of you on Chicago Med for the past 6 seasons. But it is now time for her and me to bow out and say goodbye.” In addition to DeVitto, original cast member Yaya DaCosta, who played April Sexton, also stepped from the series at the end of Season 6.
