Amanda Righetti and Owain Yeoman, who play special agents Grace Van Pelt and Wayne Rigsby, on "The Mentalist," will leave the CBS drama at the end of this upcoming sixth season,TVLine is reporting. The news hasn't been officially confirmed, but at this point is only a strong rumor, according to E!Online.
According to TVLine:
"TVLine has learned exclusively that original castmembers Amanda Righetti and Owain Yeoman will be leaving the CBS procedural toward the end of Season 6 (premiering Sept. 29 at 10/9c)... The departures of colleagues and sometime-lovers Van Pelt and Rigsby will likely tie into this fall's unmasking of Red John, a six-year-old mystery whose resolution is poised to set the show on a new course."
"I can neither confirm or deny," series creator Bruno Heller said in a statement. "But this is the most dramatic and game changing season and anything can happen."
In May, Heller discussed the characters and what the new season might hold for them.
"They've always been in love with each other... As we get closer to Red John, all of the team members will start thinking about their major life decisions. That applies to both Lisbon [Robin Tunney's character] and Grace. They haven't been able to look to their own feelings. As the show rolls on, those feelings will come to the fore," she said, according to The Inquisitr.
Neither star has commented on the rumor.
"The Mentalist" returns on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 10 p.m.