Here’s Why Jessica Pearson Doesn’t Stick With Suits Until The End

The bulk of the action in the USA Network legal drama Suits, which has become a sensation on streaming this summer, takes place at the law firm Pearson Hardman. Jessica Pearson, as played by Gina Torres, is one of the founders of the firm, but she is not part of the legal action for all nine seasons of the show. Here’s when — and why — Jessica Pearson leaves Suits.

For the first six seasons of Suits, Jessica is a constant presence. She is one of the managing partners of the prestigious law firm where she frequently butted heads with her more risk-taking collegaues, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams). Torres, who played Pearson, enjoyed her time on the show but it was real-life issues, pegged to a convenient contract ending, that prompted her to step away from her role on the show.

RELATED: Who Plays Jessica Pearson on Suits? A Guide to Gina Torres’ Career

“My personal life needed to be tended to,” she told The New York Times in 2016.

She had spent the past several years traveling back and forth between Toronto, where the show was filmed, and Los Angeles, where she lived with her daughter and her husband, Laurence Fishburne of The Matrix fame. Because her contract was up, it was a natural opportunity for her to depart.

When Does Jessica Pearson Leave Suits?

Gina Torres poses while sitting on top of an old table

Gina Torres poses for promotional pictures during a press run for 9-1-1 Lone Star. Photo: Getty Images

Jessica Pearson leaves Pearson Hardman — and by extension, the main cast of Suits — at the end of Season 6. In a move that mirrored Torres’ own real-life reasons for wanting to leave, Jessica explained that she, too was getting burnt out. Tired of all the complications and stresses that came with catering to the firm’s major, high-profile clients. Jessica decided to move back to the midwest, where she’s from, and start a new legal career in Chicago. She also wanted to make her relationship with Jeff Malone (D.B. Woodside) work, as the two headed to the Windy City together.

RELATED: Why Did Patrick J. Adams Leave Suits Before the Final Season?

However, although Season 6 marked Torres’ last season as a regular on Suits, it was not the last that viewers saw of Jessica Pearson — both on Suits and on their TVs, as there was a Suits spin-off about her continuing adventure.

Doe Jessica Pearson Return to Suits?

Close up of Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson

Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson. Photo: USA Network

Jessica appears in several episodes of Season 7, a means of wrapping up her Suits storyline and setting up her spin-off, Pearson. Much of her plot involves the fallout of her disbarment, as she lost the ability to practice law in New York state because she took the fall for Mike in Season 6. When she makes powerful enemies in Chicago, they attempt to disbar her in Illinois, too.

However, Jessica won’t be deterred, and even if she can’t practice law in Illinois, she means to do right by the people of Chicago. She takes a job with the mayor — who himself is a little corrupt because, well, this is Chicago politics — and enters the political world.

This is the premise of Pearson, which made its debut on the USA Network in July of 2019. Pearson only ran for one season, before it was canceled. However, for fans of Jessica, the good news is that there are seven seasons of Suits featuring her and one entire season of an entire show about her.

Every episode of Suits and every episode of Pearson is streaming on Peacock.