Maia Mitchell Says Goodbye to Callie Foster

Callie Foster, a character we have grown to love and care for since "The Fosters" first debuted in 2013 and continued to love in spinoff "Good Trouble", is sadly exiting the Fosters universe. Actress Maia Mitchell has decided to not come back for "Good Trouble" Season 5… and she made a very heartful announcement on social media where she expressed her gratitude to be able to work on "Good Trouble" and how she was struggling during the pandemic and having to travel between the U.S. and Australia.

Maia Mitchell played the character for a combined 9 seasons of television and now has decided to depart from the franchise. Callie was written off the show on last Wednesday’s episode, and Mitchell plans to return to her homeland Australia. Along with Callie’s end in journey, her longtime love, Jamie – played by Beau Mirchoff – will also be leaving the series.

Showrunner Joanna Johnsoncommented on Mitchell’s departure and said, “It’s been amazing to watch Maia grow up and become the most lovely, professional, and talented woman over the course of the nine years I have worked with her on both 'The Fosters and 'Good Trouble'. Though, it took me a while to process when I found out she’d be leaving the show, I supported her 100 percent. Callie going to the ACLU was always her destiny, so really it was more of a question of when. And while we will miss Maia terribly, I have to say I am thrilled to continue writing for this amazing ensemble cast on this show.”

Over time, the audience has seen Callie transform and insert herself in an extensive amount of troubling and dangerous situations on "The Fosters" but also forming a strong bond with her newfound family. On the show "Good Trouble", Callie was on a journey of becoming a lawyer in Los Angeles alongside her sister Mariana (Cierra Ramirez). Ever since her big move, Callie jumped from one job to another in L.A., she struggled to find a place where she would want to work, and would be a constant reminder of why she wanted to be a lawyer. Circling back to this purpose comes Callie’s departure -- she reveals that she finally got her dream job, but it comes with some other big news: she is leaving for Washington D.C. and her honey Jamie is coming with her. And, as always, a heartfelt goodbye came with the end of this chapter.

This exit made sense, honestly. Callie had been on the show for so long and had grown a tremendous amount, so it only made sense that her journey as a character would come to an end here. According toThe Hollywood Reporter, sources noted that Mitchell informed the creatives and the network of her plans of going back home before the new season. This was so the writers were able to properly prepare and give the character a good send-off. 

So what's next for Maia? Only time will tell, but we sincerely hope to see her on our screens again someday. In the meantime, though, we wish her all the best!