Apparently, the new television season could not begin without an exit for Chicago Med as well. Following the departures from the casts of Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. announced in recent weeks, it has emerged that the third series of the One Chicago franchise will start the autumn with a significant absence. It was Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut herself, on the show since 2024, who revealed that she will not reprise the role of Dr. Naomi Howard in the upcoming, twelfth cycle of episodes.
Chicago Med 12: Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut Won’t Be Back
It all began with a message sent to Chestnut on TikTok by a fan: “I haven’t seen you in ages, I hope you’re well. May I ask if you’ll return to Chicago Med?” The actress’s reply was crystal clear: “Thanks! I hope you’re well, too.” And after a smiling emoji, she added: “And no.”
Chestnut had made her debut in the medical drama in the middle of Season 9. On that occasion, her Naomi was introduced as a medical student assigned to the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center’s emergency department. Subsequently steering toward emergency medicine, Dr. Howard began a relationship with fellow John Frost (Darren Barnet), which started in the more recent episodes after some difficulty aligning their schedules. Her storyline in the previous cycle was particularly meaningful when Naomi accused Nicholas Hayes (Brendan Hines), a respected cardiothoracic surgeon, of sexually harassing her and other residents for years. The case reached the board, and, following the media uproar around the scandal, Hayes was suspended from Gaffney.
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