Emily Bett Rickards Announces She’s Leaving ‘Arrow’ After Season 7

Arrow star Emily Bett Rickards has announced that she will depart The CW superhero before its final season. Rickards has played Felicity Smoak on Arrow since the show debuted in 2012. Felicity’s romantic relationship with leading man Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) has been the focus of a passionate fanbase who ship the pairing as “Olicity.” Given that the series is set to end after one more season, Rickards’ decision to leave earlier than that may come as a surprise to some Arrow fans. She made the announcement with a poetic letter to fans on her Instagram account, which you can read below.

“The time has come to talk of many memes. Of bows and arrows and superheroes and Olicity and Queens
And why TGA is so damn hot
And yes, canaries need more scenes… But wait just one minute
before we go and do all that
For this makes me out of breath
To have this not small chat

Felicity and I
are a very tight two
But after one through seven
we will be saying goodbye to you

I thank you all for the time we’ve shared
The elevators we have climbed
The monsters we have faced and scared
And The burgers we have dined
I will keep her in my heart for always
And I hope that you can too
Because she would not be alive if it weren’t for all of you

Love,

Felicity and Me”

The CW announced in March that Arrow will end with its eightseason, which will lead into DC Television “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover. At that time, Rickards wrote in a statement, “I’ve been trying to find the worlds to simply say what the last seven years have meant to me, and I believe this photo sums it up! Without this show I would have not met the inspiring people pictured here nor those I have gotten to work with and get to work with every day,” she continued. “People who have become my family. I’m excited to see what is in store for the story we have been telling.”

After the show’s end was announced, Amell stated, “Playing Oliver Queen has been the greatest professional experience of my life… but you can’t be a vigilante forever. Arrow will return for a final run of 10 episodes this Fall. There’s so much to say… for now I just want to say thank you.”

What do you think of Emily Bett Rickards leaving Arrow before the final season? Let us know in the comments. Arrow airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.