"Didn't want her to be a stereotype": When The Chi star opened up about Dre's Black LGBTQ+ representation

Miriam A. Hyman was a welcome addition to Showtime's The Chi in Season 3, the South Side Chicago drama series that debuted in 2018.

Hyman's character, Dre, was a strong Black LGBTQ+ representation on the show and the actress was happy to play such a strong character. Dre eventually found love in Nina and became a co-parent to her two children.

While the character was slowly becoming a fan favorite, Hyman abruptly left The Chi in Season 6 Episode 9. While no reason was given for the actress' abrupt departure, Hyman deleted all social media posts related to her character, which sparked rumours and speculations among the fans.

While Hyman's return in the show is highly uncertain, she was an important addition, who praised the show for its non-stereotypical characters on her debut in 2020.

More on this in our story.

Miriam A. Hyman was an important addition to The Chi's Black LGBTQ+ representation

While every show is highly vocal about its LGBTQ+ characters and storylines, The Chi was different and normalised Black LGBTQ+ representation through the character of Dre.

Dre's debut as a high school counsellor and a partner to Nina in Season 3 was a welcome addition to the show and their partnership eventually blossomed into love. The couple also got married and Dre became a co-parent to Nina's children, Kevin and Kiesha.

While Dre and Nina's relationship was never at the centre of the show, it was treated like any normal marriage, without overtly commenting on it.

Hyman was excited to debut in the show and opened up about her character's Black LGBTQ+ representation with CBS News in 2020:

"I didn't want her to be a stereotype, I wanted her to be somebody that everybody can know and love.''

She added:

''We have not only love, but Black love shown in this show. With the climate of the country and the world, I thought it was so important to make sure the love was there...I'm proud to be a part of a show that isn't afraid to show that Black love and love can exist in this way. It was never a question or any issue when I found out I was going to be married to her [Nina]. I was like dope, cool."

Miriam A. Hyman abruptly left The Chi in Season 6

Since Dre was such an important Black LGBTQ+ representation in The Chi, fans were shocked when Miriam A. Hyman abruptly left the show in Season 6 Episode 9 The Aftermath.

In addition to the character's abrupt departure, fans were also unhappy with how she was written off from the show. In The Aftermath, Dre suddenly drops a bombshell on Nina, telling her that she is still in love with her ex and she left her family after that.

A shocked Nina also delivered this sad news to Keisha, who was now emotionally attached to Dre. Since The Chi spent a good amount of time developing Dre and Nina's relationship, even normalising that children are not at a disadvantage in gay and lesbian marriages, it was upsetting to see Dre make this choice.

However, after Hyman deleted all her The Chi's posts from her social media, it was clear that her decision to leave the show was not amicable and something had happened behind the scenes with the production.

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