Actress Yvette Nicole Brown is leaving the popular comedy series "Community" after being part of it for five seasons.
Brown, who is known as Shirley Bennet by fans, said and confirmed in an interview with TV Guide Magazine that she asked for her release from her contract for personal reasons.
Executive producers Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna, as well as Sony Pictures TV, have agreed to her request.
According to TV Guide Magazine, the comedian said the change was necessary in order to take care of her sick father.
"My dad needs daily care and he needs me," Brown said in the interview. "The idea of being away 16 hours a day for five months, I couldn't do it. It was a difficult decision for me to make, but I had to choose my dad."
Brown will not be a part of the cast members that makes the transition from NBC to Yahoo! Screen for the sixth season.
"Yvette was an integral part of Community and is irreplaceable. We are sad to see her go and wish her the best," Harmon and McKenna said in a joint statement.
Brown says Harmon "has been so wonderful about it all. He told me, 'Yvette, I'm praying for your dad.'"
The actress also thanked Sony for allowing her to take a recurring role on CBS' "The Odd Couple," a multi-camera sitcom.
"A multi-camera sitcom is a better fit for the life I have now," she said. "I can't say enough how much I respect Sony and Dan for how they handled this profound change in my life."
It is not yet known how Shirley (Brown) will depart from the show but guest appearances are still open for Brown should the show plot permits.
"I am totally open to whatever Dan decides," she said. "I'm glad it won't be hard for them to explain where she is. She has three kids, a degree and a business. There are a lot of ways to explain her [departure]."
