Leading TV Actor Was Fired After 7 Seasons Amidst Cancer Recovery

John Reardon is setting the record straight on his departure from Hudson & Rex.

The Canadian actor led the Citytv procedural as the titular Detective Charlie Hudson for the first seven seasons.

It was announced in August that Reardon would not return to the series, which airs on UPtv and ION in the U.S., and would be replaced by Luke Roberts, who guest-starred in the seventh season as Charlie’s brother, Detective Mark Hudson. Reardon missed most of Season 7 after getting diagnosed with tonsil cancer and undergoing treatments, and despite feeling better, he will not be back for Season 8, which premiered on Monday. Now he’s revealing that his exit wasn’t voluntary.

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Taking to Instagram, Reardon shared he’s been “quiet for a while” because he didn’t know how to find the words, and he didn’t want anyone else speaking for him. “The truth is: I didn’t leave Hudson & Rex,” he admitted. “After taking a couple months to go through cancer treatment, I was given a clean bill of health and cleared and ready to return to work. But the team chose to go in a different direction. Although this is not how I had hoped the 7 year journey would end – I’m very appreciative of the opportunity to play a part in building something special.”

Reardon went on to thank the people of St. John’s in Canada, where the series is filmed, who “embraced me and my family. My daughter was born on the island and I’m proud to call her a Newfoundlander.” He went on to thank his friends, as well as the cast and crew “that felt like family,” and his partner, Diesel, the dog who plays Rex, “you truly had swagger, buddy.”

“But above all I want to thank the fans,” he continued. “I’m blown away by the thousands of messages I’ve received from you over the past year. You’ve shared stories of the hard times you’ve gone through, sent kindness and compassion and shared with me how important the show has been to you. This is worth more than gold. I will hold it close always. Thank you for welcoming me into your homes it has been a privilege.”

Although he is no longer working on Hudson & Rex, Reardon assured fans he’s “healthy. I’m working. And I’m proud of what comes next. I hope you’ll join me on the adventure.” As of now, IMDb doesn’t have anything new listed for Reardon, but fans should keep a lookout for any projects coming up for him, because it sounds like he is still hard at work.