Why chad michael murray left

The actor portrayed the character for six seasons before shockingly being written off the show alongside his on-screen wife, Hilarie Burton Peyton Sawyer. The two exited the series in the Season 6 finale via Us Weekly , which showed Lucas and Peyton driving off into the sunset with their newborn daughter, Sawyer, and leaving Tree Hill behind. Although Burton never returned to the series, Murray did make a cameo in the final season as he returned for a brief appearance in only one episode.

Following the actors' departure, Burton made allegations of sexual assault against showrunner Mark Schwahn, which she admitted was a reason she decided to leave the show via Cheat Sheet.

I abandoned my childhood dreams of being an actress because playing the game was simply not worth it to me. At the time of their exits, rumors swirled that the decision came down to negotiations.

For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews — Subscribe on YouTube! More News. Read article. Shocking TV Exits Read article. Keep scrolling to find out why Murray ended up walking away from the show that made him a star.

According to the Los Angeles Times , it was reported at the time that the producers of the show weren't willing to give Murray the pay raise that he believed he deserved. After all, he was one of the biggest names on the show. Unfortunately for the actor, contract negotiations fell through. Per E!