Why Did Jennifer Esposito Leave NCIS and Blue Bloods, Where is She Now?

Quick Facts

Born in New York City on the 11th of April 1973 to an interior decorator, Phyllis and her music producer husband Robert Esposito, Hollywood actress Jennifer Esposito chose a path for herself quite early in life. After graduating from Moore Catholic High School, Staten Island, New York, the beautiful woman of Italian descent decided to pursue a career in acting and over two decades down the line, she has remained true to her convictions and dream.

Esposito has been in Hollywood since 1996 and in those years she has graced our screen with not just her stunning beauty but also with her outstanding roles and performances which has grown better with each screen appearance. Between 1996 and 2018,  Jennifer Esposito has starred in well over fifty films and TV series, some of her feature films include Summer of Sam, Welcome to Collinwood, Don’t Say a Word, Crash, A Brother’s Kiss, Just One Time, The Bachelor, The Proposal, Taxi, The Conspiracy, She is Funny That Way, Bending the Rules, among others. 

The actress has also appeared in several notable TV series, like Spin City, Samantha Who? Related, Mistresses, The City, Law & Order, Rescue Me, Mercy and lots more. In 2010, Jennifer started playing Detective Jackie Curatola on CBS series Blue Bloods but left in 2012, and also in 2016, she began playing Special Agent Alexandra Quinn on another CBS series NCIS and also left after one season, these has left people wondering why the beautiful actress had to leave in the middle of two great series from the same network. Below are the real reasons Jennifer Esposito left NCIS and Blue Bloods.

Why Did Jennifer Esposito Leave NCIS and Blue Bloods?

When Esposito left the police procedural Blue Bloods in 2012, CBS told fans that the actress informed the network that she will only be available to work on a very limited part-time schedule and that as a result of that, she  is unable to perform the demands of her role, and thus, they had to put her character on a leave of absence.

Now that was their version of the story, the actress would later tell her own side of the story via Twitter, Esposito blasted and accused the network of placing her on unpaid leave and further barring her from working elsewhere. According to her, she had been battling with Celiac disease and had collapsed on set. Her doctor said she “needed a reduced schedule” because of her condition but the network didn’t listen to her doctor but rather implied that she was not truly ill but only acting up to get a raise

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by a reaction to wheat proteins. It affects the small intestine and its symptoms include fatigue and those with the disease are to adopt a gluten-free diet. Further to this, in 2013, Jennifer Esposito launched a Bakery in Manhattan’s West Village called Jennifer’s Way which serves only celiac-safe foods. She also launched Jennifer’s Way Foundation for Celiac Education with the mission of elevating this debilitating autoimmune disease to the spotlight. In 2015, she became a brand ambassador for Eclair Naturals- a gluten-free, GMO-free, and vegan body and skin care line which are available in all Rite Aid stores across the country.

The following year (2016), she joined the cast of NCIS as Special Agent Alexandra “Alex” Quinn but had to leave after twenty-four episodes. This time her reason for leaving the show was different, she was just looking for different career opportunities. Speaking to Deadline about her departure, Esposito said she could not have asked for a better opportunity than to work with the cast and producers of NCIS.

Where is She Now?

She may no longer be in NCIS, but the actress is certainly not out of the acting profession. Shortly after leaving NCIS, Jennifer landed a co-starring role in the feature Speed Kills. It was announced in 2018 that she will be joining The Boys in its first season on air. The Boys is a superhero drama web television series which is based on the comic book of the same name.

Other Facts About The Actress

• Esposito was married to U.S actor  from December 2006 to November of the following year.  The couple filed for divorce in May and finalized it in November.
• In 2009, she got engaged to Mark Philippoussis, an Australian tennis player but didn’t get married eventually as they went their separate ways the following year.
• In May 2014, the actress got engaged to Louis Dowler (British model) and they married six months later.
• The actress stands at a height of 1.68m or 5 feet 5 inches with her body measurement being 34-24-35 in/86-61-89 cm for bust, waist, and hips respectively.
• At the beginning of her acting career, she worked as a waitress and an exercise instructor alongside pursuing her acting career.
• She won the Screen Actors Guild Awards of Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in 2005 and Critics’ Choice Awards — Best Acting Ensemble in 2006.
• The actress reportedly has a net worth of $4 million.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.