'Nashville' Boss Explains Death Twist and Hayden Panettiere's Absence
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'His absence will the biggest ripple effect on the lives of Luke, Layla, Juliette and Avery,' showrunner Dee Johnson says of the impact of the tragic death.

AceShowbiz - "Nashville" fans are mourning [SPOILER ALERT!] the death of a former top villain on the show, Jeff Fordham, who just had a chance to redeem himself. The music manager fell off a building after trying to save a drunk Juliette from jumping off a ledge.

Speaking to various outlets, executive producer/showrunner Dee Johnson says that decision to kill off Jeff was due to Oliver Hudson landing a regular role on "Scream Queens". "His becoming a series regular on 'Scream Queens' limited the amount of episodes in which he could appear on our show," he explains.

As for the tragic exit, Johnson says it's because they'd "always wanted to send Jeff out in grand fashion." The actor, Hudson, has no issue with his character's shocking death as well, because "he is doing something noble. He is saving a life. He is, essentially, giving his life for someone else's, which is not typical of Jeff Fordham." He adds, "But at the end of the day, we get to see who this guy really is and he actually has human feelings. (Laughs)"

Hudson also tells The Hollywood Reporter that the timing couldn't be more right for his character's departure. "It's fun to read the comments saying, 'Just when I was starting to like him! He was just softening up! I was just loving him and Layla together!' That's the best time to off someone, is when they're starting to like you," he gushes.

On how Jeff's tragic death will impact other characters, Johnson reveals, "His absence will have the biggest ripple effect on the lives of Luke, Layla, Juliette and Avery." In Juliette's case, she "was a wasted mess when Jeff fell, so she doesn't remember a thing ... until she does. Her realization about what really happened is a wakeup call of the highest order."

Johnson also addresses Juliette's postpartum emotional struggles which appear to reflect the actress Hayden Panettiere's real-life issues. Johnson, however, claims that it's just coincident. "We incorporated Hayden's pregnancy into the storyline last season, but we knew Juliette would have issues with motherhood and had always planned for her to struggle with her demons afterwards, including postpartum depression," he says.

On how the show will go on without Panettiere who is currently seeking help in rehab, Johnson explains, "It's not the entire season, it's just for now. And yes, we've had to make adjustments but it's not uncommon for shows to have to make such accommodations when real life intervenes."

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