Rochelle Aytes Departs S.W.A.T. as a Series Regular for CBS’ Watson

Keisha Hatchett
·2-min read

Rochelle Aytes is jumping CBS shows.

The actress will exit the network’s hit procedural S.W.A.T as a series regular to star opposite Morris Chestnut in the medical drama Watson, Deadline reports. The hope is that she will recur in Season 8, according to the trade.

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TVLine has reached out to CBS for confirmation of Aytes’ exit.

In S.W.A.T., Aytes portrays Hondo’s (Shemar Moore) wife Nichelle Carmichael. First recurring in Season 3, she joined the ensemble full-time in Season 6.

SWAT Rochelle Aytes Leaving Nichelle
Courtesy of CBS

Season 7, which was anticipated as the final season, saw original cast members Kenny Johnson and Alex Russell demoted from series regulars, as their respective characters Luca and Street were written out ahead of the finale. But even with the show’s surprise un-cancellation, showrunner Andrew Dettman was bearish on either actor coming back full-time.

“I think we still want to be true to the stories we’ve told,” he previously told TVLine. “I don’t see them coming back [as series regulars], at least not in the near future.”

Watson, meanwhile, follows the titular character (played by Chestnut) as he resumes his medical career in the year after the death of his friend and partner, Sherlock Holmes. The show is said to be a modern take on the classic literary characters, with Moriarty — who killed Holmes — featured prominently.

Aytes will take on the role of Dr. Mary Morstan, Watson’s ex-wife and a top surgeon working at the same hospital. She’s described as both a voice of reason and a reality check for her former husband.

Thoughts on Rochelle Aytes leaving S.W.A.T. as a series regular? Will you be tuning in for Watson?

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