Why did Natalie leave Chicago Med?

Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) was a core member of Chicago Med for its first six seasons. The character was popular among the rest of the staff and had a quietly powerful relationship with Dr. Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss), but things came to an end during the season 7 premiere.

Chicago Med has been airing reruns of past episodes as of late, and fans who missed the crucial arc involving Natalie may be confused as to why she’s no longer part of the staff. Here’s a brief recap of what happened to the character and whether you should expect to see her return.

Is Natalie Manning coming back to Chicago Med?

Natalie’s fate was sealed towards the end of season 6, when her mother became ill and she was forced to steal prescription drugs from the hospital in order to placate her. Halstead became privy to what was going on, and when Natalie was caught, he decided to take the blame for himself. He was subsequently fired.

Natalie couldn’t live with the guilt of what happened, however, and eventually came clean to Dr. Goodwin (S. Empatha Merkerson) with the truth. She was let go, and, according to the season 7 premiere, decided to move to Seattle to be with her family. Before she left, she urged Halstead to get his job back, which kickstarted the subplot involving Goodwin and VasCom.

Watch One Chicago on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

In real life, DeVitto confirmed that she would be leaving the show before the season 6 finale. She offered little explanation as to why she was leaving, but dismissed any theories of bad blood with a loving Instagram post.

"“All good things must come to an end. 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 six seasons”, she wrote. “But it is now time for her and me to bow out and say goodbye. Thank you to all you loyal watchers who adored her as much as I did. I can’t wait to share what’s to come with all of you. New adventures await! With love and gratitude.”"

DeVitto has stayed busy since leaving the medical drama. She appeared in the 2021 films Cold and Killer Movie: Director’s Cut, and is slated to appear in the upcoming film Skelly. She also played the main character in the Hallmark original drama The Christmas Promise.

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.