Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Maddie Buckley is a major fan favorite character in 9-1-1, and viewers definitely missed Maddie in season five when she left LA. The actress briefly took a break from the show to go on maternity leave - which took place around the same time her character on the show had a baby.
The star revealed that she was expecting her third child in May 2021, but hadn’t announced her pregnancy at the time that it was revealed her character Maddie was pregnant on the show. What a coincidence!
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Chatting about the surprise, Jennifer told People: "We had always been open to a third, but definitely didn't think in the crazy year that the entire world was having that it would necessarily be this moment. I feel like we've been able to so far raise two really special kids who will be great role models. This has been such a pleasant, beautiful, surprising gift in this time to be able to get to do all that again with another little human."
Jennifer has three children
Speaking to TV Line about returning to film Maddie’s scenes after giving birthday, she explained: "I also ended up sort of being on my own postpartum journey as I was filming her postpartum episodes.
"It was actually very helpful. My postpartum was sort of rushed through because I had to give it all to Maddie. [Playing that character] gave me a place to put all the emotions. So, it helped me, in real life, push through it probably a lot faster than I would have. I was very grateful for that."
Jennifer welcomed her baby son Aidan James with her husband, Brian Hallisay, in November 2021. The pair already shared a son and daughter, Atticus and Autumn.
Jennifer opened up about Maddie's storyline
Maddie gave birth on the show in season four in an episode airing April 2021. In season five fans saw her struggle with post-partum depression, and Maddie decided to leave her baby with her partner Howard ‘Chimney’ Han and disappears. At the time, Jennifer explained: "I knew when we started the storyline where it was going to end up. And taking the break to go have a real baby and then come back to it was strange and a little daunting. It was really important to us to tell the real story. PPD, postpartum depression, has been done on other shows, it's something that's out there."
Leaving Chimney a message, she wrote: "I’m sure that you are confused, hurt, and probably really scared. I don’t know what to say. You don’t need to go to the police or come looking for me. I’m not in any danger and no one is making me do this.
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"But Jee is not safe with me. Not now — I know that you’re going to take really good care of her. And she’s better off without me. I love you. I love both of you, and I’m really sorry."
Speaking to TV Line about returning to film Maddie’s scenes after giving birth, she added that Maddie’s depression and postpartum thyroiditis could be hugely helpful to other new mothers, saying: "I’m sure there will be women out there watching who will think, ‘I’ve been feeling weird, maybe I need to go ask for that and look more into that.’ Or reach out to people and say, ‘I’m not feeling right,’ and they have to pay attention."
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