Season 5 of 9-1-1 continues taking unexpected twists and turns, and the latest development on the Fox drama had fans in tears.
On Monday night’s episode, Michael (Rockmond Dunbar) and David (La Monde Byrd) made important decisions about the next chapter of their relationship. After David chose to go to Haiti to help with hurricane relief efforts for a few months, Michael decided to propose. With the support of Athena (Angela Bassett), Bobby (Peter Krause) and the kids, Michael begins planning the special surprise, wasting no time in picking out a ring. It all appears to be going smoothly until an explosion goes off at the hospital.
During the long, tense moments Michael stood outside waiting for David to emerge from the flames, he decided he had to do more than just get down on one knee. Shortly after David was found safe and sound, Michael told his family that he was going to accompany his now-fiancé to Haiti, and he didn’t say how long they would be gone.
Unsurprisingly, Michael’s loved ones weren’t the only ones taken aback by his announcement. Although Athena and Bobby supported his decision, 9-1-1 fans had a more difficult time understanding why the architect was suddenly saying goodbye. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME,” one person wrote. “This better not be the true end to Michael. We need him. Athena needs him,” another added.
Minutes after the latest episode of 9-1-1 aired, actor Rockmond Dunbar, who plays Michael, began retweeting well wishes fans were sending him. Despite folks repeatedly asking why this was happening, there was no official word until Tuesday. It was then that Deadline exclusively reported that Rockmond’s character had been written out of the show because he did not get vaccinated against COVID-19 — a requirement set by Disney TV Studios’ 20th Television for all actors. In a statement to the outlet, Rockmond further explained what led to his departure from 9-1-1 after being a part of the main cast for five seasons.
"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 4 small children. As a man that walks in faith, I look forward to what the future holds. I have enjoyed the last 5 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."
Deadline also reached out to 20th Television for comment, who responded back: “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.”
According to Deadline, Rockmond has a “close relationship” to 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear and Michael’s storyline was left open-ended on purpose in case the vaccination issue gets resolved in the future. Whether or not Rockmond will return to the show is unknown at this point, but now, at least there’s some clarity for fans surprised by the abrupt farewell.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends getting vaccinated against COVID-19 to lower the risk of developing severe illness and spreading the virus in your community. To learn more about how vaccines work, visit our COVID-19 vaccine FAQ.
