'S.W.A.T.' Star Exits Series After 5 Seasons
After five seasons on the hit CBS show, a S.W.A.T. star has officially exited the series. TV Insider reports that Lina Esco, who has played Officer III Christina "Chris" Alonso since Season 1 of S.W.A.T., has formally announced her exit. Taking to Instagram to share the news, Esco began her statement, "Bringing to life a strong, smart, bisexual character like Chris Alonso has been both a pleasure and a powerful opportunity to increase visibility for diverse women everywhere."
The actress continued, "Five years later, I am leaving S.W.A.T. to pursue new creative endeavors. Chris never backs down from the unknown and as an actor and director, I'm excited to step out of my comfort zone and embark on a new chapter, too." Esco added, "That said, this is one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make. I'm forever grateful to my S.W.A.T. family – my fellow cast, writers, and producers – for an incredible journey. To the amazing S.W.A.T. fans, you are the heart of the show. I can't thank you enough for your support and for walking beside me through all of Chris' journey!"
In the Season 5 finale of S.W.A.T., Alonso left the team to run a local safe house for undocumented immigrant girls seeking asylum in the United States. She's taking over for Mama Pina (Terri Hoyos), who'd previously run the house. It's notable that Esco's character is still alive, as this indicates she could potentially make a guest appearance in future episodes somewhere down the road.
S.W.A.T. showrunners Shawn Ryan and Andy Dettmann issued a statement on Esco's exit, saying, "For five seasons and 106 episodes, we've had the pleasure to watch Lina Esco bring Chris Alonso to life on S.W.A.T. When Lina came to us a year ago to express her desire to eventually pursue other endeavors, we all worked hard to give Chris a proper, season-long sendoff, knowing what an important, iconic character she's been to our audience."
The joint statement continued: "What Lina brought to the show, and what Chris represented to our audience, are hard to replace. We'll miss Chris, but we'll especially miss Lina, as we wish her the best of luck with everything she chooses to do next." S.W.A.T. is on break for the summer, but fans can catch up with past seasons anytime on Paramount+. Those interested in trying out a free trial of Paramount+ can do so by clicking here.