America Ferrera Leaving Superstore After Season 5

One of the most popular comedies on NBC is losing its biggest star, as America Ferrera has announced that she will be leaving Superstore at the end of the current fifth season. Ferrera has starred as Amy Sosa in every season of Superstore since it first made its debut, in addition to her duties as an executive producer of the series. Ferrera's final episode will be the Season 5 finale, which airs on Thursday, April 16th.

"The last five years on Superstore have been some of the most rewarding, enriching and enjoyable years of my career," Ferrera said in a statement. "Producing, directing and acting with this wonderful cast and crew has given me opportunities to grow as a person and storyteller. I'm so grateful to my partners at NBC and Universal Television for the support and belief they have always placed in the show, and I'm most thankful to the brilliant [series creator] Justin Spitzer for creating the funny, smart and relevant world of Superstore and inviting me to be a part of it. As I start the next chapter for my family and career, I wish only the best, and much continued success, to my beloved Superstore family."

From the sound of her statement, it seems that the exit was Ferrera's decision, one that the folks at NBC clearly support.

"America's immeasurable contributions to Superstore, both in front of and behind the camera as well as an ambassador for the show, can't possibly be quantified," said NBC Entertainment Co-Presidents of Scripted Prgramming Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta. "We feel so fortunate to call her both a colleague and friend."

The details surrounding the exit of Amy's exit from Cloud 9, where she currently serves as manager, have yet to be revealed. The character is still dating co-worker Jonah (Ben Feldman), and their ongoing love story was one of the main focal points of the series in the earlier seasons. This will be Superstore's second major exit in the last year, as creator Justin Spitzer stepped down as showrunner ahead of Season 5, replaced by executive producers Gabe Miller and Jonathan Green.

Superstore was renewed for Season 6 just a couple of weeks before Ferrara announced her exit.

Are you disappointed to see America Ferrera leave Superstore? Let us know in the comments!