Bad boy Tristan, on the hit show Gilmore Girls, was played by heartthrob Chad Michael Murray. He was a trash-talking bully, but he had an unspoken crush on Rory. On the show, they even shared a kiss! Out of nowhere, the character was sent off to military school. On the show, they said he had to go there as punishment for his bad behavior.
Chad Michael Murray actually left the show because he was also filming Dawson’s Creek. He had also landed the role on One Tree Hill, and he was just too busy. He has said in various interviews how much he enjoyed playing the role of Tristan, thankfully, he did leave on a good note.
Dave Chappelle on Chappelle's Show
This is probably one of the most controversial TV departures on our list. In the early 2000s, comedian, Dave Chappelle, abruptly let his hit comedy series Chappelle's Show. Despite the huge success of the show, Chappelle didn't feel happy with how things were unfolding. He felt that fans only liked his "stupid" humor, and didn't get his more intellectual skits, which eventually got him disappointed.
"You know why my show is good? Because the network officials say you're not smart enough to get what I'm doing, and every day I fight for you," Chappelle once told his audience. "I tell them how smart you are. Turns out, I was wrong. You people are stupid." Ouch. And that's how Chappelle's genius skit show ended.
Jeffrey DeMunn on The Walking Dead
The character of Dale on the hit TV show, The Walking Dead, was played by actor Jeffrey DeMunn. Jeffrey decided that he did not want to be on the Walking Dead any longer, so production killed off his character in quite the elaborate way.
On the episode where he is killed, the character Dale sees a dead cow across a field where he is walking. At that point, he sees the walker. There was no rhyme or reason how the walker appeared so fast, but he kills Dale immediately. This would be the end of Jeffrey DeMunn’s run on the show.
Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men
Charlie Sheen had been quoted saying that he turned the show Two and a Half Men into gold. It was pretty clear from that moment on that this was not going to work out for him. Charlie Sheen played the main character, Charlie, on the hit TV show. Charlie Sheen reaped the benefits, as he made $2 Million an episode!
WB eventually let Sheen go and stated that he was unable to perform his ‘essential duties’ on the show. He was also heavily addicted to drugs, as well as selling drugs to others. He was also charged with domestic assault by his ex-wife, Brooke. When Sheen left the show, Ashton Kutcher joined the cast.
Peter Capaldi on Doctor Who
While Peter Capaldi was a respected Doctor on the British sci-fi series Doctor Who, in reality, Capaldi didn't find the show to be very suiting for him. There were rumors circulating about him and his co-star Pearl Mackie clashing on set, perhaps this rumors had some truth to them because he did, in fact, leave the show.
Capaldi once told an interviewer when asked about his departure, "I want to always be giving it my best and I don't think if I stayed on I'd be able to do that,".