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Fans and cast members alike were devastated when the news broke that Blue Bloods had been cancelled. Former star Jennifer Esposito, on the other hand, has a different outlook on the longtime procedural coming to an end.
Esposito played Detective Jacqueline Curatola for the first three seasons of the show, but she was written off in 2012 due to medical issues and her departure was not entirely amicable. In a recent interview with ScreenRant, the actress revealed her thoughts on CBS’ decision to cancel Blue Bloods after 14 season. “Everything has to come to an end, and I think they’re smart to end it now, it’s been a long time,” she told the outlet, adding that she “had some great times” while filming the show, but also “some not so fun times.” She continued: “But, I love Donnie, I met some great people there, and honestly, the fans — I still get asked, ‘Are you gonna go back to Blue Bloods?!’ And it’s like, ‘That’s, like, 10 years ago!’ [Chuckles] That really warms my heart, so I couldn’t be mad at it.”
The NCIS alum’s remarks do not come as a complete shock, as she left the series on not great terms and publicly criticized CBS for the way they handled her exit. During Season 2, Esposito allegedly asked for “a very limited part-time schedule” as a result of her battle with Celiac Disease. The request was made after her doctor advised that she seek a lighter workload due to her symptoms. However, Esposito claimed that rather an accommodate her request, the studio kept her contract and suspended her without pay.
“Jennifer has informed us that she is only available to work on a very limited part-time schedule,” CBS Studios said in a statement at the time, per Deadline. “As a result, she’s unable to perform the demands of her role and we regretfully had to put her character on a leave of absence.” Esposito was quick to respond to the network’s claims and released a statement of her own on Twitter. “CBS put me on unpaid leave and has blocked me from working anywhere else after my doctor said you needed a reduced schedule due to Celiac. CBS didn’t listen to my doc and I collapsed on set. Which everyone saw!” she wrote. “After a week off my doc said I could return to work but CBS implied that I was not truly ill and this was a scheme to get a raise! It’s been almost two months without bringing me back to work + keeping Me from working anywhere else!… Absolutely shameful behavior.”
Despite the seemingly bad blood between her and CBS, Esposito reprised her role as Jackie for a guest appearance in Season 13 and Season 14. In her interview with ScreenRant, she noted that it “was nice to go back” in February 2024 for the second episode of the final season.
While Esposito may be at peace with Blue Bloods ending, the majority of the cast and the entire fanbase feel otherwise. Tom Selleck, who stars as New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, has been particularly outspoken about CBS’ decision to cancel the long-running show. During a January 2024 interview with TV Insider, the actor warned CBS that “an awful lot of people aren’t ready to say goodbye to it.” He added: “The show’s more popular than ever, and I think [numbers] will increase with the interest this year. We’re certainly not out of ideas.” Selleck spoke out again after CBS sealed Blue Bloods fate in May 2024 and stated that the show will end in Fall 2024 as planned, despite the cast’s pleas to reconsider. “I will continue to think that CBS will come to their senses,” Selleck told CBS News. “We’re the third-highest scripted show in all of broadcast. We’re winning the night. All the cast wants to come back. And I can tell you this: we aren’t sliding off down a cliff. We’re doing good shows, and still holding our place. So, I don’t know. You tell me!”
In June 2024 CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach revealed that she and the other execs at the network “tossed and turned” when deciding which shows to cancel this year. “I’m a big fan of TV first and I sympathize and relate to all of the fans out there who are disappointed in the fact that these shows are ending,” she told reporters, per Variety. “But at the end of the day, our job at CBS is to make those really tough calls.”
Although the fan effort to #SaveBlueBloods may not have worked, the campaign might have sparked a new spin-off series! During a Paramount shareholders meeting on June 4, Paramount Global co-CEO Brian Robbins announced that there are “new franchise extensions” coming for Blue Bloods, Fire Country, Dexter and Billions.