Judy Reyes Might Be Leaving High Potential—Here's What Sparked the Rumors
Judy Reyes lit up High Potential from the start — but a growing theory has fans convinced she's walking away from the series, and the clues are hard to ignore.
Quick heads up before the rumor mill spins itself into oblivion: Judy Reyes is not ditching High Potential just because Scrubs is making a comeback. ABC is doing the TV equivalent of air traffic control so she can do both. Here is how the schedule Tetris shakes out.
The short version
Judy Reyes is staying put on High Potential as Selena Soto. She is also returning to Scrubs as Carla Espinosa, but only in a recurring capacity. ABC has already worked out special scheduling so she can keep leading Major Crimes on High Potential while popping into Sacred Heart when needed. No, you are not losing her on the cop show.
What she is doing on Scrubs
The new Scrubs project at ABC brings Reyes back as Carla, the assertive head nurse she played across all nine seasons of the original run — the role that scored her two ALMA Awards. The revival follows JD and Turk navigating a changed medical world with their bromance still very much intact. Reyes will be a recurring presence, not a series regular, which is why this is even possible.
Who is back at Sacred Heart
- Zach Braff
- Donald Faison
- Sarah Chalke
Where she stands on High Potential
Reyes remains central to High Potential as Selena Soto — the no-nonsense lieutenant who keeps her detectives sharp. She helped kick off the 'Morgan experiment' last season and is still pushing the team harder in Season 2. Translation: the show is not scaling her back; she is still the one setting the tone in Major Crimes.
Why the confusion happened
Any time an actor signs onto a second series, fans brace for exits or demotions. In this case, ABC preempted that headache: they confirmed the schedule would be tailored so Reyes can juggle both gigs. If you are a Reyes fan, this is the rare TV scheduling story that genuinely works out — you get her leading High Potential and making strategic cameos to keep the doctors (and nurses) in line on Scrubs.