Alexis Bledel Will Not Return for ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 5: ‘I Felt I Had to Step Away’

Alexis Bledel decided to not return for the fifth season. The Handmaid’s Tale.

Bledel, who has starred as Emily/Ofglen on the dystopian Hulu drama since 2017, said she decided to “step away” from the series in a statement released by VarietyMay 27, 2007. “After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid’s Tale“At this time,” the statement read. “I am forever grateful to Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support.” In 2018, Bledel won an Emmy for best supporting actress for her performance in the series. 

Based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 bestseller, The Handmaid’s TaleThe Gilead fascist regime that seized control of the American government, stripped women of their basic rights and deprived them of their fundamental human rights, follows a group made up of women. Emily, who had fled to Canada already, agreed to join June (Elizabeth Moss), to defeat Gilead. It’s not clear how the series will address Alexis Bledel’s absence in the upcoming seasons.

Since its debut in 2017, many have been using it. The Handmaid’s TaleViewers have noted disturbing parallels between Gilead actions against women and our own government’s, which have only grown more apparent over the years. The Supreme Court voted to overturn the decision. Roe v. Wade,Oklahoma has just passed one the most restrictive pieces in abortion legislation in the country.

The Oklahoma law bans abortions at the point of “fertilization,” which it defines as “the fusion of a human spermatozoon with a human ovum.” Furthermore, Oklahoma calls on private citizens to bring civil lawsuits against any person who “knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion.” Outside of the medical professionals that provide treatment, this also includes anyone who provides money for the abortion or even gives the patient a ride to their appointment.