The Chi star Yolonda Ross explained why she departed from the series following Jada's tragic death in the Season 7 finale. Ross has been a mainstay of The Chi since her debut as Jada Washington in Season 1. In the Showtime drama series, Jada is introduced as Emmett's mother, and her kind heart and extreme loyalty to her son make her a standout character in the series.
Jada's life drastically changed in The Chi Season 4 when she learned that she had an aggressive form of cancer. While she reached remission by the end of Season 4, Jada's cancer unexpectedly returned in Season 7, Episode 7, and the prognosis was worse.
Created by Lena Waithe, The Chi revolves around the story of the people living in the neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. The Chi Season 7 premiered on May 18, 2025. The series stars Jason Mitchell, Ntare Guma Mbaho, Mwine, Jacob Latimore, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tiffany Boone.
Why Jada Left The Chi: 'It Sucked'
The Chi Season 7 finale culminated with the emotional death of Jada Washington after succumbing to her terminal cancer. Although the episode began with Jada being aware that her time is near, she didn't want to let go so that she could meet her newborn grandchild for the first and last time.
While her son, Emmett, and her daughter-in-law, Keisha, deal with the water birth at home, Jada has one last request for Darnell amid her dying state: to spend her final moments with her grandchild and Emmett. Before her death, Jada was able to see the newborn and learn that they had named her after her grandmother.
Jada also hashed things out with Emmett, who told his mom he would not leave Chicago since he intends to make it a better place. Season 7's ending indicated that Jada was at peace with her fate, knowing that her legacy would continue with Emmett, Keisha, and her new grandchild.
As for Yolonda Ross, the actress who brought Jada Washington to life for seven seasons, her exit in The Chi was bittersweet because it wasn't her choice. Speaking with TV Line, Ross confirmed that she found out about her exit "right before the script came out," pointing out that "it sucked" and "it's kind of a mixed bag of things." Still, she seemed ready to move on to other things after her seven-season stint on The Chi:
TVLINE: "| When did you find out that this season would be the last for her?"
Yolonda Ross: "Oh, when you guys did."
TVLINE: "Really?"
Ross: "Yep. Right before the script came out."
TVLINE: "What was that like?"
Ross: "It sucked. I mean, it was weird. It’s kind of a mixed bag of things. It’s like, first off, why didn’t I know earlier? But then also, oh wow, now I can do other things."
Yolonda Ross joins other The Chi mainstays, such as Iman Shumpert's Rob and Miriam A. Hyman's Dre, in the departure list of the Showtime series.
How Jada's Exit Impacts The Chi Season 8 & Beyond
Yolonda Ross' exit as Jada Washington is devastating and will leave a major hole in The Chi's overall narrative, considering that the show is losing a good and moral anchor for core characters like Emmett.
Emmett's promise of making Chicago better in his final scene with Jada is a hopeful trajectory for the protagonist. Still, there is concern because Jada has been a stabilizing force for him in The Chi, and losing the one person who understands him profoundly could significantly impact his next arc in Season 8.
Given that he is now a father, Emmett needs to step up, but there could be difficulties along the way as he deals with his grief for losing his mother. It would also be challenging for Kiesha, mainly because she is a first-time mother and considers Jada her mentor.
Meanwhile, Darnell's already-strained relationship with his son, Damien, may also be impacted since his grief could take over and amplify his frustration toward him. There is still a chance that Darnell could choose to fix his dynamic with Damien because he could realize that life is short after losing Jada to cancer.
All in all, the characters of The Chi will forever be changed by Jada's death.
