‘Shameless’ Season 9 Spoilers: How Will Fiona Leave? 4 Theories

Since Emmy Rossum revealed she is leaving “Shameless” at the end of Season 9, fans have been wondering just how Fiona will leave her family behind. V actress Shanola Hampton debunked one theory.

“They’re not going to kill her,” Hampton told the Hollywood Reporter. “I mean, spoiler alert, she’s not going to die. I don’t know if I can say that. She’s not dying.”

So if Fiona doesn’t die, how will she leave “Shameless”? Here are a few theories about what could happen on the Showtime comedy:

1. Ireland — Fiona and Ford (Richard Flood) are getting serious, but immigration laws are getting stricter as well. If Ford has to return home, he might ask Fiona to go with him. Ford is the most stable boyfriend Fiona has ever had, so she just might be willing to follow him across the Atlantic.

2. Jail — She’s a Gallagher, so it’s pretty easy for her to end up behind bars again. She wants to make some big investments, and if she doesn’t do all her homework or tries to cut corners, a mistake could get her into trouble.

3. Traveling Business Woman — On the other hand, Fiona might actually find success. If her investments start really paying off, she might want to expand her business outside just the South Side.

4. On The Run — Perhaps she doesn’t want to face consequences after a business deal goes wrong. Or maybe she pays for Ian’s (Cameron Monaghan) bail and he doesn’t show for his trial. Or Frank (William H. Macy) might frame his daughter for one of his various illegal schemes. In any case, having to go on the run to avoid the cops seems exactly like the kind of twist “Shameless” loves.

Rossum announced her exit from “Shameless” in a Facebook post on Aug. 30. “I know you will continue on without me, for now,” she wrote. “There is much more Gallagher story to be told. I will always be rooting for my family. Try not to think of me as gone, just think of me as moving down the block.”

If Showtime renews “Shameless” for future seasons, Hampton expects Rossum will return for the series finale. “She’s brought to life Fiona in [the way] only Emmy Rossum can, but ‘the show must go on’ as they say in Hollywood and she’s not moving far away,” the actress pointed out. “She’s just down the block so when we do reach our conclusion I’m sure that she’ll be like, ‘Hey guys, FiFi’s back!’”

Fans will have to wait to see how exactly she leaves. While “Shameless” Season 9 is currently airing Sundays on Showtime, there is a midseason hiatus this year. Season 9 won’t wrap up until early 2019.