Sam Frost has departed Home and Away, according to the Seven Network.
‘We support and appreciate Sam’s choice to leave Home and Away,’ a spokeswoman said of her departure on Friday. Sam departs with our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes for the future.’
Sam, 32, who has portrayed nurse Jasmine Delaney in the long-running serial since 2017, left two months after receiving outrage in October after revealing she had not had the Covid-19 vaccine.
Her departure comes only weeks before the deadline for all performers, staff, and presenters to be double-vaccinated, which is set for January 10th.
However, a source told the Daily Mail Australia that this isn’t the case. Sam’s choice to depart had nothing to do with the network’s vaccination policy.
Jasmine’s part will not be replaced.
On Thursday, Sam was photographed looking upbeat while filming her last scenes on location in Sydney’s Palm Beach.
Despite the fact that she still has a few interior sequences to film at Eveleigh Studios on Friday, it’s probable that this was her character’s final visit to Summer Bay.
Kirsty Marillier, Jacqui Purvis, and Nicholas Cartwright were among her co-stars on set.
Sam and Nicholas chronicled their night out on Instagram Stories after their day on set.
Nic was seen sucking from a hookah pipe in one video, with the remark ‘Celebrate!’
After Seven Productions issued a vaccination requirement for all actors, staff, and presenters, Sam quit Home and Away on January 10.
In an emotional Instagram video posted in early October, the former Bachelorette confessed she was unvaccinated.
She also stated she was having mental health issues as a result of others criticising her immunisation status.
‘I was extremely apprehensive about shooting a video or even speaking up about this, but I feel like the world is coming to a place where there’s a lot of division,’ she explained.
‘There’s a lot of harsh judgement and comments being tossed about a lot, and it’s definitely affecting my mental health, and I know people around me are hurting, especially if they don’t want to be vaccinated for whatever reason.’
‘There are many various reasons why individuals do not get vaccinated, and it might be because to their medical history, their worries, their family history, or religious beliefs.’
Sam then claimed she hadn’t been vaccinated, but that she had discussed her option with her doctor and a psychotherapist.
‘It’s a really terrible moment to be in society right now, and you feel like you’re less of a human, and you feel like others criticise you,’ she continued bitterly.
‘And you’re too afraid to express your thoughts or sentiments, and a part of you wants to go,’ “It’s none of your business why I’m not here! And there are valid reasons for this, and I don’t want you to pass judgement on me.”
‘I’m having a lot of trouble with my mental health, but I like to think I’m on top of it.’ I go to a psychologist on a regular basis. So I can’t fathom how difficult it is for those who don’t have a support system.’
Her video sparked a firestorm of criticism, largely due to her use of the word “segregation” to describe how society “judges” unvaccinated individuals.
The term’segregation’ is commonly used to characterise civilizations that are separated along racial, religious, or sexual lines.
Sam was photographed on the Palm Beach set of Home and Away in the following weeks.
In late October, though, Seven issued a vaccination requirement for all of its performances.
From January 10, the network would “only engage fully vaccinated presenters, actors, and staff,” placing Sam in a difficult situation.
On November 2, she certified that she will be completely vaccinated by late February, around seven weeks after the vaccination mandate takes effect.
In the meanwhile, she claimed, her character will be ‘written out temporarily.’
She said she couldn’t have the shot sooner because of an unspecified’medical operation scheduled for January.’
She also stated that she would not be leaving the show indefinitely and that she has the full backing of Seven executives.
