Vanessa Lachey is saying goodbye to her NCIS: Hawai’i role in a sentimental way.
“Forever your Sweet Jane … This was the same spot where I filmed episode 1,” Lachey, 43, began a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday, May 1, which featured a video of herself wiping away tears while sitting by the ocean. “I sat here at 2am [in] June 2021 and stared into the ocean. I asked her to protect me, my family, my crew and our show. I told her we will do all we can to protect the grace and integrity of Hawai’i while also sharing her Beauty with the world.”
Lachey noted that she “turned to” her character of Jane Tennant once again for guidance following the CBS series’ cancellation. “[I asked] what do we do now … (please protect us all) She answered with ease,” the actress wrote.
She continued: “Just as the air hits the water & the water hits the land, the waves connect to the shore, some with a huge impact, then … it goes back out. You see … we aren’t meant to be here forever, we are on borrowed time. We appreciate what was given to us for our use, we nurture it and then we leave it better for the next dreamer.”
Lachey went on to express her hopes for the show’s cast and crew to “remember the Beauty of what we had,” encouraging them to “spread this Aloha in every direction we go.”
“I wish we had more time, I’m sorry we don’t. I wish we had a proper good-bye, I’m sorry we didn’t,” she added. “I know we ALL are connected deeper than any TV show. I will go to the ends of the earth for my cast & crew! If you come across ANY of them… hire them! You won’t be disappointed. Salt of the earth people!”
Instead of saying goodbye, Lachey chose to bid “A Hui Hou,” which means “until we meet again.” She concluded: “To you all & especially the beloved fans… A Hui Hou. ❤️ Love Always, Your Sweet Jane.”
Us Weekly confirmed on Friday, April 26, that NCIS: Hawai’i would not return after three seasons on CBS. Part one of the show’s series finale aired on Monday, April 29, with the second half set to air one week later.
Lachey, who became the NCIS franchise’s first female lead in 2021, initially reacted to the news via her Instagram Story on Saturday, April 27, writing that she was “gutted, confused [and] blindsided” by the cancellation.
“Grateful, confident, beloved fans!” she continued. “Processing this news and still being present with my family. I Love You all! Mahalo Nui Loa.”
Lachey later revealed that her 9-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, made her a pair of Mickey Mouse ears “so I can ‘smile’” after sharing the difficult news, adding via her Instagram Story, “This decision was bigger than a TV show.”
Vanessa — who also shares sons Camden, 11, and Phoenix, 7, with husband Nick Lachey — previously told Us in November 2022 that she has “never felt more at home than I do in Hawai’i” after moving with Nick, 50, and their kids. “Honestly, I constantly tell [Nick] how lucky I feel that we get to be here as a family. I feel like I’m meant to be an Air Force brat, like, traveling all around the world. I’ve never really felt like I was home until here,” she gushed.
