'Castle' star breaks silence on Stana Katic leaving

Castle star Nathan Fillion is addressing the departure of his longtime costar.

“Castle has been one of the greatest joys of my creative life, and I hope the show continues on for years to come,” the actor tweeted Tuesday regarding Stana Katic’s exit of the ABC drama ahead of a potential ninth season. “Stana has been my partner all this time, and I thank her for creating the character of Beckett who will live on for all of us as one of the greatest police officers on television.

“I wish her well, and have no doubt she will succeed in everything she pursues. She will be missed.”

On Monday, it was confirmed that Katic along with Tamala Jones are departing the procedural drama. “Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series Castle for the past 8 years,” ABC said in a statement. “We are grateful for Stana Katic’s talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship. Tamala Jones has also been an integral part of the series and we are grateful she was a part of Castle.”

Castle creator Andrew W. Marlowe seemingly addressed the exits on Twitter Monday. “Heartbroken. There are no words. #nmc.” More details on the exits here.