After CBS canceled NCIS: Hawai’i, star Vanessa Lachey is opening up about feeling blindsided. Lachey made NCIS history when she was cast, becoming the franchise’s first female lead. From there, the actress fully embraced her new ohana, which makes the cancellation even more heartbreaking. Following the news, Lachey took to her Instagram Stories to share her reaction, more or less revealing that she didn’t even see it coming.
“Gutted, confused, blindsided,” Lachey wrote. “Grateful, confident, beloved fans! Processing this news and still being present with my family. I Love You all!” She ended her post with “Mahalo Nui Loa,” which is “Thank you very much” in Hawaiian. Despite the fact that NCIS: Hawai’i was in danger of cancellation and would have had major budget cuts if renewed, it seems like no one expected it.
Lachey isn’t the only one in shambles. Many fans aired their frustrations and anger on social media. Meanwhile, many of Lachey’s co-stars have also spoken out about the cancellation. Noah Mills, who was unfortunately celebrating his birthday when the series was canceled, took to his Instagram Stories to share a short but sweet message. “It was soooo much damn fun while it lasted!” he wrote. “I will miss so many and so much about making this show. Incredibly grateful for the memories and to the AMAZING people on the great island of Oahu Hawaii, I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to visit, live, play, work and grow in such a special place. Boone man out.”
Tori Anderson went on X (formerly known as Twitter) to admit she’s having “a really hard time processing this one. Thank you to our incredible crew who made every single day feel like I was living a dream. I want to say thank you to all the fans. My heart breaks for you as well. This is a huge loss for representation. Love you all so much.” Jason Antoon had no idea the cancellation would happen, saying on X that, “This business is brutal and makes no sense. Mahalo to all and everyone who supported us – we had so much fun. Best and nicest cast and crew ever!”
It’s clear that NCIS: Hawai’i means a lot to many people for a lot of reasons, and it’s a huge disappointment that it’s not continuing. Especially given the fact that the NCIS franchise is continuing to thrive after airing its 1,000th episode, it’s a definite shock that Hawai’i didn’t make the cut for next season. There are two more episodes left, with the two-part series finale airing on Monday, Apr. 29 and Monday, May 6 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.