Chicago Med season 7: Where is Heather Headley this season?

Chicago Med has had lots of staff turnover during season 7, which has led to some speculation about the fate of longstanding characters. April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) and Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) have left the show, but the current status of smaller characters like Gwen Garrett remains unclear.

Garrett, who’s played by actress Heather Headley, left a big impression on audiences when she was introduced in season 3. In an effort to figure out what lies in store for both the character and the show for the rest of the year, we decided to look into Headley’s current status and determine why she hasn’t been onscreen lately.

Here’s what you need to know about the actress and her future with Chicago Med.

Is Heather Headley still on Chicago Med?

Headley has been MIA from the One Chicago universe due to her being swamped with other projects. The multi-talented entertainer currently stars in the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias, which was recently renewed for a second season. She also starred in Respect (2021), which details the life of Aretha Franklin. Headley played gospel singer Clara Ward, and earned critical praise for her performance.

In addition to her busy acting schedule, Headley is a successful recording artist and songwriter. Her latest album, Broadway My Way, was released in 2018, and she recently collaborated with The Voice contestant Chris Mann to record a cover of “Written In the Stars“. The song choice was especially fitting, given that the original song is from, Aida, the musical that Headley won a Tony Award for in 2000.

Gwen Garrett has been a polarizing character within the ED. As the Chief Operating Officer for Gaffney, her priority is generally finance-based, which puts her at odds with Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) in terms of patient welfare.

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Garrett was a recurring presence in seasons 3-5, though her character seemed to be undergoing a rocky period the last we saw her. In the season 5 episode “The Ground Shifts Beneath Us”, it was discovered that she left her infant son Devon to freeze in the backseat of her car.

Dr. Manning was able to save the baby, but Garrett’s attempt to hide the incident from her husband was thwarted when Goodwin shared what happened. It was later revealed that Garrett and her husband were divorcing as a result.

Given Headley’s busy schedule and wide range of roles, it’s safe to assume that she will not be reprising her role as Garrett anytime soon.

For the latest Chicago Med season 7 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Med category at One Chicago Center.