Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Dax

When her original contract with Paramount ended in 1998, Terry Farrell made the decision not to renew it. She left the cast of DS9 and joined the sitcom Becker, playing the character Reggie Kostas.

Farrell wasn't happy to leave the show, and she didn't want Jadzia to be killed off, nor did anyone else. In The Fifty Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, Farrell explained that Rick Berman's alleged comments behind the scenes were a large factor in her decision to leave the show. She claimed that he regularly made misogynistic remarks about her appearance, refused any changes for her new contract, and even sent another producer to tell her ‘If you weren't here, you know you'd be working at Kmart.’

Terry Farrell bravely stood up to this disrespect by deciding that she would leave the show unless they would allow her to appear in fewer episodes as a recurring character, rather than a member of the main cast. Farrell really cared about Jadzia, and nobody wanted the character to be killed, but, again allegedly, Rick Berman and/or the studio were unwilling to make these changes, or to capitulate at all, so Deep Space Nine lost one of its most beloved characters. Thankfully, Farrell continued to have a successful career, proving that she didn't need to let herself get bullied to be successful.

After Jadzia's death in the show, Nicole de Boer went on to play a new incarnation of the Dax character, Ezri, in the seventh season. De Boer (who was unaware of Farrell's reason for leaving) performed the role wonderfully, though the circumstances behind Farrell's departure unfortunately highlighted systemic issues in the entertainment industry that are still being dealt with today.