When Yaya DaCosta first walked onto the set of Chicago Med as April Sexton, nobody quite realized she was about to become the emotional heartbeat of the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center’s ED. Most people remember her as the stunning runner-up from America’s Next Top Model, but in the world of One Chicago, she was something entirely different. She was the nurse who kept the doctors in check and the heart that kept Ethan Choi beating.
Then, she just... vanished.
Honestly, her departure at the end of Season 6 left a massive hole in the show. Fans were blindsided. One minute she’s battling COVID on the front lines, and the next, she’s heading off to a nurse practitioner program. It felt abrupt, and if we’re being real, it felt a little unfinished. But Yaya DaCosta on Chicago Med isn't just a story about an actress leaving for a new gig; it’s about a character who refused to stay gone until she got the ending she actually deserved.
The Real Reason April Sexton Left the ED
Why did she leave? It’s the question that haunted message boards for over a year.
Usually, when a lead leaves a hit show, there’s rumors of "creative differences" or behind-the-scenes drama. For Yaya, it was way more straightforward. She was ready for a lead role where she didn't have to share the spotlight with an ensemble of ten other people. She jumped at the chance to star in Fox's Our Kind of People, playing Angela Vaughn.
She loved the script. She loved the character. Basically, it was time to move on.
But here’s the thing: because the transition happened so fast, the writers didn't really have time to bake in a "goodbye." April's exit was basically a footnote about her getting accepted into a program. It lacked the weight of a character who had been there since the pilot. Even DaCosta admitted in later interviews that she felt the storyline wasn't "nicely tied up."
She wasn't wrong.
Watching Ethan Choi wake up from a gunshot wound in the Season 6 finale only to find out the love of his life was leaving felt like a punch to the gut for the "Chexton" shippers. It was a cliffhanger that didn't feel like a cliffhanger; it just felt like a loss.
The Shocking Return in Season 8
Fast forward to the Season 8 premiere.
Everyone expected the usual medical chaos. Instead, they got a cemetery scene that changed everything. Ethan is standing at his father's grave, and there she is. April Sexton, back in Chicago, rocking a nurse practitioner degree and a much more grounded vibe.
It wasn’t just a cameo.
Showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov have been vocal about the fact that they didn't just bring her back because Our Kind of People got canceled. They’d actually been planning to bring her back for a while because Ethan’s story—played by Brian Tee—was also coming to an end. They needed to fix what they broke in Season 6.
Why the Reunion Actually Worked
Most TV reunions feel forced. They feel like a "best hits" montage that lacks soul. But the Yaya DaCosta on Chicago Med return worked because both characters had grown. April wasn't the same impulsive nurse who kept secrets. Ethan wasn't the rigid Navy vet who couldn't compromise.
- They had the "big arguments" already.
- They both knew what life was like without the other.
- The chemistry was, quite frankly, still electric.
The scene in the club where they danced? Pure fire. It reminded everyone why they were the show's power couple to begin with. By the time they decided to get married and start a mobile medical clinic together, it didn't feel like a plot device. It felt like a graduation.
The Legacy of April Sexton
April wasn't just "the nurse." She was a bridge.
She bridged the gap between the high-level surgical decisions and the actual human beings laying in the beds. She was a woman of faith, a sister who sacrificed her own dreams to put her brother Noah through med school, and a professional who eventually realized she was just as capable as the doctors she assisted.
It’s rare to see a character of color given that kind of multi-season, nuanced development on a network procedural. April struggled with IVF. She struggled with TB. She struggled with her Brazilian heritage and the expectations of her family. She was messy.
That’s why people cared.
If you look at the landscape of medical dramas today, characters like April are the blueprint. She showed that the "supporting" staff are often the ones carrying the heaviest load. When she finally walked off into the sunset with Ethan, she wasn't just leaving a job; she was completing an arc that started in the very first episode.
What’s Next for Yaya DaCosta?
Don't expect her back at Gaffney anytime soon.
In a 2025 interview with TV Insider, DaCosta was pretty clear that she considers April's story done. She loves the ending. She loves that they "went off into the sunset." For an actress who has since moved on to projects like The Lincoln Lawyer, returning now would just muddy the waters.
She’s busy. She’s thriving.
But for those of us who spent six years watching her navigate the chaos of the ED, April Sexton remains the benchmark.
If you're looking to revisit the best of Yaya DaCosta on Chicago Med, start with the Season 1 tuberculosis arc—it’s where she really found her footing. Or, if you want the emotional payoff, skip straight to the "Chexton" wedding in Season 8, Episode 9. It’s the closure we all needed.
The best way to keep up with what Yaya is doing now is to follow her work on Netflix or check out her frequent advocacy for maternal health, a cause she’s been passionate about long before she ever put on a pair of scrubs.
