How did Brandon die on The Chi? Jason Mitchell's misconduct exit explained
How Brandon died on The Chi became a concerning issue for fans after the character's sudden disappearance from the storyline. His unexplained death in the Showtime series came after actor Jason Mitchell was fired over misconduct allegations off-screen.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Jason Mitchell's role as Brandon Johnson was written out of The Chi after harassment allegations from co-star Tiffany Boone and showrunner Ayanna Floyd Davis.
- Brandon was an ambitious chef with a complex personal and professional life, which made him a relatable protagonist in the series.
- Jason Mitchell has denied all the accusations made against him.
- Spoiler Warning: This article contains major plot details from The Chi seasons 2–4, including Brandon Johnson’s fate and storyline developments.
What happened to Brandon Johnson on The Chi?
The Chi killed Brandon off-screen after the end of the 2nd season. His death was revealed in the season 3 premiere through an emotional eulogy delivered by his mother, Laverne Johnson (Sonja Sohn). The circumstances surrounding the character's death were not made clear, leaving fans in suspense.
Brandon's death in The Chi was finally addressed in season 4. His mother shoots Douda, who is linked to a local gang, and then shoots the mayor, believing he was involved in her son's murder. After recovering from his wounds, Douda admits he had something to do with Brandon's murder when he found out he was snitching to the cops.
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Writers originally had plans for Brandon Johnson in The Chi S3
Brandon was a central character in The Chi's first two seasons. He was introduced in the series premiere, giving a eulogy after his younger brother Coogie (Jahking Guillory) was mistakenly murdered. He chooses to become a chef and stay off the streets of the South Side of Chicago.
Johnson lives with his girlfriend Jerrika, who comes from an affluent family. When he is fired from his restaurant job, he opens a food truck but gets robbed. He then meets Otis 'Douda' Perry, a businessman with connections to a local gang. Douda funds Brandon's food truck business.
In The Chi season two finale, Brandon starts working with detectives and turns on Douda as the authorities try to take down the gang. Season 3 was supposed to explore the aftermath of Brandon's snitching, and his abrupt death made the show struggle with storyline continuity.
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The scandal that led to Jason Mitchell's exit from The Chi
Brandon was killed in The Chi after the series fired Jason Mitchell in May 2019 when misconduct accusations towards his colleagues came to light. Tiffany Boone, who portrayed Brandon's girlfriend, Jerrika, reportedly asked to be written out of the show in November 2018 after alleged harassment from Mitchell.
The Chi season 2 showrunner, Ayanna Floyd Davis, told The Hollywood Reporter that she also had to report Jason to HR after initially trying to intervene.
[I] set up HR presentations for the writers, cast and crew. Ultimately, everyone was well aware of Jason's behaviour and his multiple HR cases... As a showrunner, I did everything I could to deal with his behaviour — before I became a target of his rage and inappropriateness, and had to report him to HR, as well.
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The Chi creator, Lena Waithe, was reportedly made aware of Mitchell's behaviour after season 1. During her appearance on The Breakfast Club in November 2019, she said she tried to have a conversation with him. She also revealed that she got different versions of the story and could not pinpoint Jason's exact misconduct, but wished she could have handled the situation differently.
In February 2021, Tiffany Boone addressed her exit from The Chi for the first time. In a since-deleted Instagram post, the actress said she felt the responsibility to speak, but she chose not to provide the specific details of what happened. She revealed that she left the series because:
I quickly realised not everyone was interested in creating a work environment that was conducive to each person feeling safe, seen and heard.
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Jason Mitchell was ousted from a Netflix project
Before being let go from The Chi, Jason Mitchell was set to appear in the Netflix movie Desperados (2020). They dropped him in late April 2019 during filming after accusations of inappropriate behaviour came to light.
Netflix replaced Mitchell with actor Lamorne Morris. He was later dropped by his talent agency, UTA and his management company, Authentic Talent & Literary Management.
Jason Mitchell has denied the accusations
Mitchell has made several statements since being fired. He appeared on The Breakfast Club in early November 2019, where he refuted the misconduct claims, revealing that they were not "specific with me about anything". He said he had no incident with Boone, but Ayanna Davis made a statement on her behalf.
The actor claimed that his issue with showrunner Davis started after she made a comment that offended him following the death of his friend, rapper Young Greatness. He reportedly told Waithe about it, and she reported the incident to HR.
Jason also accused Davis of using the #MeToo movement as "an ugly weapon". He also claimed that he was let go from The Chi because Disney had seen what was happening with Desperados, and because he was asking for more money for his role.
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In a June 2023 interview with DJ Vlad, Jason shared that he was fired from Desperados due to a misunderstanding with his co-star's boyfriend. They were reportedly filming in Mexico City when he helped his drunk female castmate get home.
Mitchell, who gained fame for portraying Eazy-E in Straight Outta Compton (2015), has strongly denied the sexual harassment claims and maintained that he never "put my hands on somebody." When asked why he never took legal action to prove his innocence, the actor told The Breakfast Club hosts:
Because, at the end of the day, I do have to take my L and say, 'You know what? I made myself subject to these situations. Had I not went anywhere with this lady and had to drop her off home, I wouldn't be in this situation. Had I not responded to anything that went on with Ayanna, I wouldn't be in this situation.
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Conclusion
How Brandon died on The Chi may have been abrupt, but the writers had to find a way to adapt to external situations. Jason Mitchell is still in show business and has appeared in For the Love of Money (2021), Call Her King (2023), and Black Heat (2024) since leaving the Showtime series.
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Source: Briefly News
