The full statement read: 'Melissa McBride has given life to one of the most interesting, real, human and popular characters in The Walking Dead Universe. So what gives? Well, AMC's official statement revealed that McBride had to step away from the project because relocating to Europe became 'logistically untenable' for her. Given her long-standing support for Carol (for which we will always be grateful), her heartbreak over TWD's end and her initial excitement about working with Reedus on a new spinoff, it came as a shock to fans that McBride would not continue to be a part of the franchise beyond the flagship's conclusion.