Fans are heartbroken over Emmy Rossum's exit from 'Shameless'

Emmy Rossum is bidding farewell to Shameless and her seminal character Fiona Gallagher. Rossum posted a lengthy statement to her Facebook page announcing that she’ll be leaving the Gallagher gang after nine seasons on the hugely popular Showtime series. And although she wishes only the best for the show and her castmates, fans are having trouble imagining the series without her.

“The opportunity to play Fiona has been a gift. There are few characters — female or otherwise — as layered and dynamic. She is a mother lion, fierce, flawed and sexually liberated,” the actress wrote of her character. “She is injured, vulnerable, but will never give up. She is living in an economic depression, but refuses to be depressed. She is resourceful. She is loyal. She is brave. I knew it the second I read the pilot script, this was different, this was special.”

According to people sounding off in the comments of her post, everything Rossum wrote leads to the simple conclusion that, without her, “The Gallaghers won’t be the same.” However, the actress also sweetly shared with viewers how she wouldn’t be the same without the Gallaghers.

“See, in real life, unlike Fiona, I’m an only child. I never had a big family. Being ensconced in that messy Gallagher family love is something I’d always dreamed of. But even off set, it feels real,” she wrote. “We’ve watched the kids grow up into the strong, talented, independent human beings that they are. I taught Emma to shave her legs. I was there when Ethan learned to drive. Shanola and Jeremy and Joan and Bill danced at my wedding in New York last year. Our fearless leader John Wells thankfully held Sam and me up on those rickety chairs during the hora. I’ve spent the Jewish holy days in temple with David Nevins and his wonderful wife and kids. It really feels like a family.”

But she’s not the only one who feels like they’re a family. Just a couple of hours after Rossum broke the news, people took to Twitter to share their emotional responses. Whether they’re in support of the actress moving onto new projects, or they’d prefer she’d stay put, each and every one seems to be going through some serious heartbreak.

Some even made assumptions that Rossum’s exit might have something to do with salary discrepancies, after the actress made headlines in 2016 for demanding to be paid as much as her co-star William H. Macy.

But whatever the reason for her departure, it’s difficult not to praise the star for such a gracious exit.

“I know you will continue on without me, for now. There is much more Gallagher story to be told,” Rossum concluded. “I will always be rooting for my family. Try not to think of me as gone, just think of me as moving down the block.”

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