Emmy Rossum Is Leaving Shameless After Season 9

For eight seasons, Fiona Gallagher has held her family together as the surrogate mother to her troublesome siblings on Shameless. Now they will have to go on without her; TV Guide has confirmed that Emmy Rossum will be leaving the show after Season 9.

"Emmy Rossum will forever be part of the Shameless family. She has been integral to the show's success, from her wonderful portrayal of Fiona to her leadership role on set, as well as directing multiple episodes of the series. We are hard at work now creating a Season 9 finale for Shameless which we hope will provide a Gallagher-worthy sendoff for Fiona that honors the great work Emmy has done," showrunner John Wells said in a statement to TV Guide.

He continued: "It is always bittersweet when an ensemble member decides to move out of the proverbial house, but our door will always remain open for Fiona to return home for a visit, or to move back in. I look forward to continuing the stories of this wildly unpredictable family and all of us on Shameless will miss Emmy and her wonderful Fiona."

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Rossum bid farewell to the Showtime series in a bittersweet Facebook post on Thursday, writing, "I can say for certain that this cast and crew, who I've been truly honored to work alongside, are world class. I am proud and I'm filled with gratitude. I know you will continue on without me, for now. There is much more Gallagher story to be told. I will always be rooting for my family. Try not to think of me as gone, just think of me as moving down the block. With love, always."

Ugh, we can't imagine Shameless without Fiona!

The show's ninth season -- which will be longer than usual -- will see the Gallaghers again searching for their own means of justice. Realizing there's money in campaigning, Frank (William H. Macy) will begin handing out advice to down-on-their-luck men in the South Side. Meanwhile, Fiona will take a huge risk to get her business off the ground and Lip (Jeremy Allen White) will take charge of caring for Eddie's niece Xan (Amirah Johnson). Plus, Ian (Cameron Monaghan) will be dealing with the repercussions from his time as Gay Jesus.

See how the show will say goodbye to Fiona when Shameless Season 9 premieres Sunday, Sept. 9 at 9/8c on Showtime.

(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS, Showtime's parent company.)