Why Did Jill Marie Jones Leave Girlfriends?

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Jones' contract was up

Fans who were worried that Jones' exit from "Girlfriends" may have been due to a behind-the-scenes dispute — possibly one that mirrored the on-screen fight between Joan and Toni — can rest easy, as it turns out that Jones decided to leave the sitcom for a totally practical reason. Jones' contract ended with Season 6, and she decided not to renew it in order to pursue other projects.

Jones told Essence, "I left because I wanted to do movies. My contract was up after my sixth season, and people forget that just like the network can choose whether or not to renew your contract, I can also choose and evaluate whether or not I want to come back" (via Distractify). The actress also clarified that the decision had nothing to do with money, which may have been another speculation of fans or media.

"Girlfriends" had two more seasons after Jones left the show before it ended abruptly, without a proper season finale, reportedly due to financial reasons (via TV Series Finale). An abrupt ending is already disappointing for fans, but to add salt to the wound, it was reported by The YBF that Jones was in talks to return to the show for the series finale. However, luckily for fans, the four girlfriends got to reunite on a different show: ABC's "Black-ish," which stars one of the "Girlfriends" women, Tracee Ellis Ross. Ross was joined by her former "Girlfriends" co-stars — Jones, Golden Brooks, and Persia White — for an episode in 2019 during the show's Season 6.