L.A.’s most sharp-witted defense attorney, Mickey Haller, is back in The Lincoln Lawyer, once again navigating the city’s toughest cases from the back seat of his Lincoln. Becki Newton returns as Lorna Crane, Jazz Raycole reprises her role as Izzy Letts, and several other familiar faces from previous seasons also make a comeback.
However, fans of the show will notice that one character is missing from the new season— Yaya DaCosta, who played Andrea "Andy" Freeman. So, why isn't Andy in the new season?
Here’s everything you need to know about DaCosta’s exit from The Lincoln Lawyer.
Why did Yaya DaCosta leave The Lincoln Lawyer?
Ahead of season four, it was confirmed that Yaya DaCosta, who played Andrea "Andy" Freeman on The Lincoln Lawyer, would not be returning. When the cast list for the new season was announced, Yaya’s name was notably absent.
Andy was first introduced in a recurring role during season two, initially positioned as a close friend to Maggie and a legal rival to Mickey. By season three, however, her relationship with Mickey evolved into a romantic one. Yaya was subsequently promoted to series regular, despite the character being created specifically for the show and not appearing in Michael Connelly’s The Law of Innocence, the novel on which the season’s storyline was based.
In April 2025, Yaya addressed her exit in an interview with TV Insider, explaining that Andy’s absence was not acknowledged on screen. "Andrea’s absence was not expected or explained to the audience. Sometimes when things like this happen, the writers will give an explanation in a conversation between two characters who are on the show. Or someone will make a phone call and pretend the disappeared character is on the other end. Who knows what they’ll do? I’m just focusing on the now and future," she said.
Asked how she felt about her character being written out, Yaya added, "My satisfaction is irrelevant. I have faith in the ultimate divine plan for my career and for my life."
Season four of The Lincoln Lawyer draws its storyline from The Law of Innocence, the sixth novel in Connelly’s series, which could explain the absence of Andrea Freeman. While an earlier book, The Gods of Guilt, left space for Mickey to explore a new romance—adapted on screen through his relationship with Andy—The Law of Innocence is far more narrowly focused on Mickey’s legal battle and leaves little room for an ongoing personal storyline. Altering that arc would require a major departure from the source material, something the series has largely avoided.
That said, showrunner Ted Humphrey previously suggested that past characters could still appear in future seasons. "You never say never. First of all, obviously we’ve got to get another season and then hopefully seasons after that," he told TV Insider. "Andrea is a great tool in our toolbox that we would love to find another way to use."
With season five now confirmed, it’s very possible that Andy’s story isn’t over just yet.
The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
