Actor Kellan Lutz Leaves Drama Series 'FBI: Most Wanted' for Personal Reasons

Kellan Lutz, an original cast member on the TV show, is exiting the police procedural following two seasons. He referenced the loss of his daughter, among other things, as a reason for his departure.

In a lengthy post on Instagram on Tuesday, September 21, Kellan Lutz announced his departure from the crime drama series "FBI: Most Wanted,” writing his lead character would not be chasing down bad guys for a while. He captioned his post:

"2020 was a lot for everyone. For me, it started with losing my first daughter, then nearly my wife, and both my grandfathers, among other things."

THE TOUGH DECISION

Lutz explained that everything occurred in the middle of the ongoing pandemic when he lived in a different state away from his family and friends. He said 2020 taught him how important family is and added:

"After a lot of prayer and reflection, I made the difficult decision to move my growing family back to California so our daughter could grow up with her grandparents."

The 36-year-old thanked the show’s creator Dick Wolf, the UniversalTV network, and the rest of the team for showing him immense support and understanding throughout his struggles.

Lutz posted several pictures from the set scenes, with the first displaying his character on the hospital bed and another alongside co-stars Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki.

FAMILY TRAGEDY

The North Dakota native and his wife Brittany Gonzales, whom he married in 2017, lost their first child via miscarriage before welcoming another baby daughter, Ashtyn Lilly.

Lutz made the big announcement following the premiere of season 3, which saw his character get shot and leave his law enforcement team to recover. The show films in New York City.

THE SHOW

The season 3 premiere was, in fact, a Part 2 of a three-part crossover with "FBI" and its new spinoff, "FBI: International." Lutz played Agent Crosby on the show.

The series focuses on the Fugitive Task Force of the bureau, and Agent Crosby's exit was a vital part of the premiere. During his last stint, he was assisting Agent Maggie Bell.

Agent Crosby got injured when a veteran who previously served alongside him in the army shot him, leading to him requiring immediate surgery.

In turn, that was his farewell exit as the show portrayed him returning to his hometown to stay with his parents in Oklahoma, where he would recuperate.