Sad news for Black-ish [1] fans: the hit ABC family series is coming to an end [2] after eight laughter-filled seasons. The show's season eight premiere kicks off on Jan. 4 with a special guest appearance [3] from former first lady Michelle Obama [4]. And yet we're still struggling to say goodbye to the Johnson family — Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross [5]), Andre "Dre" (Anthony Anderson [6]), Zoey (Yara Shahidi [7]), Junior (Marcus Scribner), Diane (Marsai Martin [8]), and Jack (Miles Brown) — who have all grown up [9] with us over the years.
Even some of the cast are still grappling with the fact that the show is in its final season. In an Instagram tribute post [10] to her castmates, Ross wrote, "It is so hard to say goodbye to the @blackishabc family. But, I leave full of joy and pride. It was an honour to go to work every day, to create our hilarious and important show. We changed the landscape of modern primetime television."
Scribner also echoed his TV mom's sentiments [11] and told POPSUGAR, "It was definitely hard, but we were so thankful that we were able to get an eighth and final season to send it off the right way . . . we really get to send them off in a celebratory manner, and just celebrate all the amazing storylines that we've had over the years and what we've been to Black culture." Ahead, see how the rest of the Black-ish [12] cast is bidding farewell to the show.
Tracee Ellis Ross
"It is so hard to say goodbye to the @blackishabc family. But, I leave full of joy and pride," Ross wrote in an Instagram post [14], alongside a series of photos and videos with the Black-ish [15] cast and crew. "It was an honour to go to work every day, to create our hilarious and important show. We changed the landscape of modern primetime television. It is more than a notion to keep rising above the limiting ideas people have for Black women. To keep feeling the hits and to keep being free and shining anyway. Black-ish was a place where I could shine and be free. Let this show be a promise of what is to come, let the space we leave in our departure be an invitation for an eternity of Black women leads who reflect the truth of who we are in the world and more shows that shift the narrative so that we can be seen in our fullness, and reflected as the important, loving, powerful humans that we are."
Anthony Anderson
"It's been an amazing journey over the last 8 years," Anderson shared in an Instagram post [16] with a season eight cast photo. "I've watched these kids grow into young adults and can't be more proud of them. My tv wife and parents ain't so bad either. I love and miss them all! #justakidfromcompton #huskyandhandsome #bigzaddy"
Jenifer Lewis
"Just - simply - WOW WOW WOW!!!," Lewis captioned an Instagram post [17], sharing a Black-ish [18] poster montage of all eight seasons. "Thank you to all who loved and supported this grounding breaking show. We made history in so many ways. I am insanely grateful."