https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/is-emmy-rossum-leaving-shameless-1138666

Rossum posted a heartfelt and lengthy letter (https://www.facebook.com/emmyrossum/photos/a.112369928838255/2113599062048655) to Facebook this morning suggesting that she's exiting (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/emmy-rossum-leaving-shameless-after-nine-seasons.1799983/) the Showtime series (http://forums.previously.tv/topic/3326-shameless-in-the-media/?page=4) after nine seasons. "The opportunity to play Fiona has been a gift," she wrote. "There are few characters — female or otherwise — as layered and dynamic. She is a mother lion, fierce, flawed and sexually liberated. 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. I tirelessly prepped the audition with my coach Terry Knickerbocker. I walked to the appointment in the rain so I looked disheveled. During my third audition, when I got the part IN the room, I literally jumped up and down screaming in joyous relief and disbelief. Quite simply, the last eight years have been the best of my life." Shameless returns on Sept. 9 for a 14-episode season that will be shown in two parts. UPDATE: Showtime and Shameless showrunner John Wells confirm Rossum's exit (https://deadline.com/2018/08/emmy-rossums-shameless-exit-confirmed-showtime-1202454889/): “Emmy Rossum will forever be part of the Shameless family," Wells said in a statement. "We are hard at work now creating a season nine finale for Shameless which we hope will provide a Gallagher-worthy sendoff for Fiona that honors the great work Emmy has done."

The show should end now that she’s left. Eight years is a good enough run for it.

Should Shameless go on without Emmy Rossum? (https://www.tvguide.com/news/shameless-without-emmy-rossum/)

Shows like The Vampire Diaries have carried on without the main star. But can Shameless fill the post-Rossum void? The actress is leaving behind cast members who have developed into mature actors who could handle the dramatic heavy lifting alongside William H. Macy, according to Megan Vick. "Both Rossum and (executive producer John) Wells have expressed their desire for the show to go on after her departure, promising there are many more Gallagher stories to tell," says Vick. "We believe them, and while Rossum may be ready to leave, many fans aren't ready to say goodbye to the Gallaghers entirely. The longtime series, which will air its 100th episode next month, is still Showtime's highest-rated show, so a renewal is far from out of the question. The writers are currently crafting a Season 9 finale to say goodbye to Fiona, and it will undoubtedly service the character and respect the work that Rossum has put into this show. The reason Shameless has lasted so long is because of those same writers' abilities to create smart, compelling storylines for these characters year after year, but after they've written her goodbye there needs to be a serious discussion of how this show evolves without its central character — and if that evolution is actually good for the show or just necessary to fill Rossum's void."

ALSO:

William H. Macy on Rossum's exit: "We’ve been expecting it... she’s young and I think she’s made the right choice" (https://ew.com/tv/2018/08/31/shameless-william-h-macy-emmy-rossum-exit)
Rossum is reportedly leaving for professional reasons: She never expected to be on Shameless for nine seasons (https://www.eonline.com/news/964441/emmy-rossum-s-shameless-exit-inside-her-decision-to-walk-away-from-the-showtime-hit)

Why Did Emmy Rossum Leave 'Shameless'? (https://collider.com/why-emmy-rossum-left-shameless-explained/)

What happened to television's favorite big sister?