Emma Kenney Opens Up About ‘Shameless’ Co-Star Emmy Rossum’s Decision To Leave The Show

Fans of the popular Showtime series Shameless were dealt a heavy, unexpected blow when Emmy Rossum, who portrays the oldest Gallagher sibling Fiona, announced the shocking news that she would be leaving the show after nine seasons. In a recent interview with Us Weekly, Emma Kenney, who plays Rossum’s on-screen sister Debbie, opened up about how she is coping with the news.

In 2011 the U.S. was introduced to the highly dysfunctional Gallagher family and instantly fell in love. Over the course of eight seasons, Shameless fans have watched their favorite TV family grow, separately and together.

Rossum, 31, quickly became one of the show’s favorite characters for her portrayal as loyal and strong-willed Fiona after she accepted the difficult task of taking on the parental role to her younger siblings due to having an alcoholic, absent father and a mentally-ill mother who took off.

Since breaking the news that Season 9 will be the last time Fiona Gallagher will grace audiences’ TV screens, a couple of Rossum’s co-stars have expressed their feelings on the matter. Kenney, 18, is the latest one to do so.

“You know, we’re all really close so we all are kind of in the same loop … We’ve had nine amazing seasons with Emmy helping guide the ship and I’m so grateful for that,” Kenney said. “She’s been such a rock and such a focal point of our show and I think she’s brought in so much confidence and given so many people a voice on our set and I’m really grateful for that,” she added.

Kenney went on to praise her on-screen sister as a “powerful woman,” who she knows will live on to do “amazing things.”

“I think that Emmy’s a powerful woman and she’s going to continue doing amazing things in her career and life. We support her!”

Once Fiona leaves, how exactly does Kenney see the Gallagher family coping?

“The Gallagher’s have always had people leave in their life and I think that they’re gonna continue thriving in their own Gallagher kind of way,” she concluded.

Kenney also touched upon what fans will have to look forward to when it comes to her own character in Season 9, which will see its 100th episode.

“I think this season Debbie explores her sexuality and is kind of trying to find herself and find who or what or, you know, whatever it is that makes her happy. Debbie finds a connection with someone new this season and I’m really excited for people to see this love story,” she revealed.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Jeremy Allen White, who plays the second oldest Gallagher sibling Lip, recently told Variety that he is “very sad” Rossum has chosen to leave but did admit that he felt she was “ready” to do so.

William H. Macy, who plays the head of the Gallagher clan, Frank, recently shared that the entire Shameless family was already aware that Rossum was looking to exit the show before she even made the announcement on her Facebook and believes she “made the right decision.”

It has been reported that despite her imminent departure, the show will continue on and Rossum will always be more than welcome to return if she chooses.

Season 9 of Shameless will premiere tonight at 9 p.m. on Showtime.