Summary

• Afton Williamson left The Rookie due to experiencing racism, bullying, sexual harassment, and assault behind the scenes of the show.
• Talia Bishop, the character played by Williamson, served as a training officer to Nathan Fillion's character and had hopes of becoming a detective and Chief of Police.
• The investigation into Williamson's allegations found no wrongdoing on the set of The Rookie, but she chose not to return for Season 2 and emphasized the need for change in the industry.

Afton Williamson (The Night Of, Banshee) played LAPD Officer Talia Bishop in the first season of the ABC police procedural The Rookie. She served as the training officer for Nathan Fillion's character John Nolan, who became the oldest rookie in the Los Angeles Police Department after surviving a bank robbery. With her goal of eventually becoming a detective and then Chief of Police, it appeared that Bishop would stick around for the entire run of the series.

However, at the beginning of Season 2, Williamson departed the show as the second -- but not the last -- main cast member to leave. The actor said she was subjected to racism, bullying, sexual harassment and assault, and the character of Bishop was written out of The Rookie. Between Williamson's departure and the exit of Mercedes Mason, the character of Nolan lost two of his biggest allies early in the series. Here's who Talia Bishop was and why Afton Williamson left The Rookie.

Updated January 29, 2024: It's always disappointing to fans when a fan-favorite character leaves a series, especially given the high level of Afton Williamson's performance. Talia was a tough-as-nails police officer in a cast full of that archetype, and Williamson's performance helped define her as an individual. Yet, it's even more disappointing that power imbalances, hateful biases and sometimes criminal behavior are common, even on shows like The Rookie which try to create empathy along with entertainment. Williamson chose to leave the show, but not because she no longer wanted to play the character.

What Happened to Bishop on The Rookie?

Talia Bishop was a member of the LAPD assigned to the Mid-Wilshire Division as a training officer. Bishop grew up in the foster care system and escaped a turbulent childhood, determined to build a successful career. She worked closely with John Nolan throughout the first season, and even though they often didn't see eye-to-eye, Nolan respected Bishop's position and mentorship. Even though his mistakes and dangerous experiences in the field were sometimes costly and had the potential to affect her growth in the LAPD, Bishop saw plenty of potential in Nolan and reminded him that he wasn't like the other rookies. She encouraged him to find his voice and not treat his age as a liability, but consider it a strength. Eventually, after hard work and plenty of life-and-death experiences, Bishop realized that Nolan was a worthwhile rookie. The two didn't exactly become friends, but they weren't just a training officer and her "boot" anymore, either. It was a relationship many fans of The Rookie were eager to see evolve into full-on friendship.

Many Season 1 storylines explored Bishop's past and personal life, as the show would later do with other officers. In the episode "Homefront," Bishop reconnected with one of her foster brothers and learned he had a criminal history. She struggled with wanting to get close to him but also feeling ashamed of his former illegal activities, to the point where she didn't list him as one of her foster siblings on her academy application. However, Bishop confronted her inner judgments about him and later rectified her actions.

In the Season 2 premiere "Impact," it was revealed that Bishop had moved on from the LAPD. The character had become a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). She was not seen on-screen and has never reappeared on the show, for reasons which became clear when Williamson came forward with her claims about what had happened behind the scenes. The character has never been mentioned and, obviously, hasn't returned for a cameo appearance. Since she left, the show's completed five seasons with The Rookie earning a renewal for it's sixth season debuting in February. It also became a franchise, with the Niecy Nash-led series The Rookie: Feds which was canceled while the SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strike were taking place.

Why Afton Williamson Left The Rookie Cast

Noteable Afton Williamson Roles Other than The Rookie

Afton Williamson stated that she left The Rookie after she experienced racial discrimination, bullying, and inappropriate comments from the show's hair department and executive producers. In an Instagram post, Williamson wrote:

I will not be returning for Season 2 of The Rookie." I owe it to you my amazing fans to share the Truth. Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers. During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. escalated into sexual assault at our wrap party.

Williamson noted in the post that she reported the harassment to showrunner Alexi Hawley, but stated that her complaint remained undocumented and "not reported to HR as promised." The actor added that while the head of the show's hair department was fired, the bullying continued during production and "escalated into sexual assault" at Season 1's wrap party.

The lead studio on The Rookie, Entertainment One, told The Hollywood Reporter that "We take claims of this nature very seriously. We have initiated an independent investigation which is ongoing and as such, it would not be appropriate to comment at this time." While Williamson certainly wanted the offenders to face accountability, she also wanted to raise awareness of problems still facing women and people of color in Hollywood. "My prayer is that we get to a point in this industry where we don’t just talk about it in 2-hour mandatory meetings. But we adhere to keeping the promises made to everyone on every set," she wrote on social media.

ABC Investigated Afton Williamson's Allegations on The Rookie Set

In 2019, EW reported that the investigation found no wrongdoing on the set of The Rookie. "We have concluded that those identified in Ms. Williamson’s allegations did not conduct themselves in an unlawful manner or demonstrate behavior inappropriate for the workplace,” the studio said. “It was also concluded that the executive producers, including showrunner Alexi Hawley, addressed matters of which they were made aware promptly and in a fair and reasonable manner."

In her initial Instagram post, Williamson said she was offered the opportunity to return as Bishop for The Rookie Season 2, but chose not to continue. In the wake of her allegations, ABC and eOne, who produces the show, launched an independent, third-party investigation. After the results of the investigation were made public, she added in an Instagram follow-up: "What saddens me the most is that the lengths that were taken to deceive, lie, and cover up the truth, were far greater than those made to protect and maintain a safe working environment for employees. It's heartbreaking for everyone on that set."

It's unclear if Williamson has left acting behind or if she's being punished for speaking out. Her last credit was 2020's Still Here, a timely drama about a Black family whose 12-year-old daughter goes missing. In Burn It Down: Power, Complicity and a Call for Change by Maureen Ryan, the author details countless stories of how on-set trauma pushed actors, writers and other artists out of the business. Renewed for a sixth season, The Rookie returned to production when the SAG-AFTRA Union won a fair deal from the studios.