Why Yaya DaCosta's April Sexton Left Chicago Med

Dick Wolf's One Chicago franchise features multiple interconnected series, all with ensemble casts that keep popping up on each others' shows. Viewers might not see all the cogs whirring behind the scenes of such an ambitious undertaking, but there's one surefire sign that a lot is going on: the series' massive cast turnover. 

Indeed, the vast majority of the property's characters work in stressful and dangerous conditions, and characters dying or leaving in search of other opportunities have become a key part of the franchise's makeup. In 2025 alone, fans have received news of both Daniel Kyri's Darren Ritter and Jack Lockett's Sam Carver leaving "Chicago Fire," while in 2024, "Chicago P.D" fans had to deal with Tracy Spiridakos' Hailey Upton departing the show. The medical care corner of the property has suffered its losses, too — such as in 2021, when Yaya DaCosta left "Chicago Med" after playing April Sexton for six seasons.

Actors leave shows for many reasons, but in DaCosta's case, her "Chicago Med" exit was comparatively drama-free. During a 2021 Television Critics Association panel (via Deadline) for producer Lee Daniels' ("Precious," "The Wonder Years") drama series "Our Kind of People," she admitted the Fox show was a key factor in her decision to leave "Chicago Med:"

"My exit from 'Chicago Med' and the arrival of this show happened really simultaneously. There isn't much to say about it. There was a window opening and a question mark as to whether I should stay or go. And in that window, I fell in love with 'Our Kind of People' and I jumped at the opportunity to work with Lee Daniels again. I first worked with him years ago on 'The Butler.'"

It's understandable that DaCosta wanted to work with Daniels again, given the latter's track record on both big and small screens. As DaCosta mentioned, the two also had an existing working relationship courtesy of the Daniels-directed 2013 White House biopic "The Butler," in which DaCosta played Carol Hammie. What's more, she genuinely considered "Our Kind of People" a special opportunity. As she explained during the TCA panel:

"The show is a dream in so many ways, and it's saucy and so much fun! And there's so much about my character that I felt was really important to bring to the forefront of our discussions. We're just playing with these serious themes, and we're making them fun."

Unfortunately, "Our Kind of People" wasn't destined to join the ranks of multi-season Daniels projects like "Empire" and "Star." The show — on which DaCosta starred as an ambitious single mother who seeks better business opportunities by becoming a fraudulent socialite — only ran for a single season before concluding in 2022. Fortunately, she was quick to find other projects. From 2023 to 2024, DaCosta played Andrea Freeman in the Netflix legal drama series "The Lincoln Lawyer," and in 2025, she played the titular role in the TV movie "Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story." As proof of DaCosta's amicable departure from the One Chicago universe, she returned to "Chicago Med" in 2022, playing April Sexton for three episodes in season 8.

"Chicago Med" is currently streaming on Peacock.