‘The Fosters’ Alum Jake T. Austin Finally Explains Why He Quit His Role As Jesus

“The Fosters” alum Jake T. Austin is finally revealing the real reason behind his decision to leave the Freeform TV series.

On his Twitter account, the actor responded to fan questions about his departure, saying that he really wanted to continue playing the role of Jesus, but he decided to quit after he was asked to return for only three episodes. Austin realized that he didn’t want to be held back from pursuing other projects just because he was tied to the show.

When asked if he’s open to starring in the rumored “Wizards of Waverly Place” reboot, he said that he’s down for it. But since the reboot hasn’t been confirmed yet, Austin is focusing on writing a screenplay based on his life.

After the third season of “The Fosters,” reports swirled that Austin had decided to exit the franchise. At the time, the actor didn’t explain anything to his fans. In his last scene on the show, Jesus was involved in a car accident, according to Seventeen. The episode ended with a major cliffhanger since Jesus’ fate wasn’t revealed. When he later tweeted that he was no longer returning to the series, the fans grew even more concerned over Jesus’ fate. But in Season 4, it was confirmed that Jesus is still alive. However, he was no longer being played by Austin, but by Noah Centineo.

Meanwhile, “The Fosters” Season 4 will return to Freeform on Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. EST. “Insult to Injury” will see Jesus being rushed to the hospital after a serious altercation with Mariana’s (Cierra Ramirez) ex-boyfriend. By the looks of it, Jesus will survive, but he will most likely need a long time to recover.