A former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant navigated big emotions after an exciting development and subsequent heartbreaking announcement regarding one of her projects. Vanessa Lachey has starred in “NCIS: Hawai’i” since it began and made history doing it.
Sadly, CBS just canceled the show, and the DWTS star shared her reaction to the disappointing development.
Here’s what you need to know:
Vanessa Lachey Was the 1st Female Lead for the ‘NCIS’ Franchise
On April 13, Lachey took to her Instagram page to celebrate a major achievement. She shared a screenshot of an article posted by People which touted, “Lachey made history.”
In the caption of her Instagram post, the season 25 “Dancing with the Stars” alum admitted the phrase used by People “took my breath away.”
Lachey wrote, “Mahalo to CBS & Paramount for believing in me and this ground breaking show.” She added, “Here’s to all the incredible People along the way who continue to make it happen! I love my job!!!”
The People article noted that Lachey was the “first female lead” for the “NCIS” franchise. “NCIS: Hawai’i” premiered in September 2021, and Lachey has played the character of Tennant since the series debuted.
Lachey told People, “It’s an honor to be able to add to this incredible franchise and to do it as the first female lead has meant more to me than I can ever express.” She added, “It shows the incredible evolution and longevity that ‘NCIS’ continues to give its fans.”
The “NCIS” franchise aired its 1,000th episode on April 15, just after People talked with Lachey about her ground-breaking role. As the media outlet noted, the couple and their three children moved to Hawaii after she landed the role, as it films on location.
The 1,001th episode of “NCIS” to air was part of the “Hawai’i” spinoff’s third season. It also served to “kick off the next 1,000” franchise episodes, Lachey noted. In an April 11 Instagram post, she shared that the 1,001th “NCIS” episode was even titled “The Next Thousand.”
CBS Canceled ‘NCIS: Hawai’i’
On April 26, Deadline reported that CBS had canceled “NCIS: Hawai’i.” The season 3 finale, which will now serve as the series finale as well, airs on May 6.
Deadline noted that “NCIS: Hawai’i” now stands out as the first franchise show to feature a female lead and the first franchise show where viewers will not receive a true series wrapup.
CBS renewed the original “NCIS” for season 22, and “NCIS: Los Angeles” moves ahead to season 14. In addition, CBS greenlit “NCIS: New Orleans” season 7.
Paramount+ has”NCIS: Sydney” and a spinoff featuring the characters of Tony and Ziva. A franchise version titled “NCIS: Origins” is in the works, too.
The Cancellation ‘Gutted’ Lachey
People shared that on April 27, Lachey shared her reaction to the cancellation via her Instagram Stories. “Gutted, confused, blindsided,” she wrote. The “Dancing with the Stars” alum added, “Grateful, confident, beloved fans!”
Lachey continued, “Processing this news and still being present with my family. I Love You all!”
On September 13, 2021, Lachey posted an emotional video about the series on Instagram. The video captured Lachey’s reaction when she learned she had landed the “NCIS: Hawai’i” gig.
Lachey sobbed as she recorded in the car and as she arrived to tell her best friend. The caption of her post read, “I will never forget it!”
She continued, “Dreams do come true. One week from today, our show premieres and I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity. My life is changed forever.”
An Instagram Story posted by Lachey on April 28 revealed her daughter was trying to make her mom feel better in the wake of the disappointing cancellation news. She noted, “This decision was bigger than a TV show…”
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