Actor Alexis Bledel, who has played Emily/Ofglen on the Emmy-winning show The Handmaid's Tale, has exited the show ahead of the upcoming fifth season

In a statement to Deadline, Bledel said "After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid’s Tale at this time. I am forever grateful to Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support."

Based on Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel of the same name, The Handmaid's Tale is set around the dystopian country of Gilead where women are stripped of their rights and forced into sexual slavery. Bledel co-starred with Elisabeth Moss since the show's debut in 2017. The fifth season of the show is expected to premiere later this year.

For her role in the show, Bledel has earned four Emmy nominations, winning the Emmy for outstanding guest actress in a drama in 2017.

The series also stars Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Max Minghella, Samira Wiley and Bradley Whitford.

The Handmaid’s Tale is executive produced by creator/showrunner Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, Eric Tuchman, John Weber, Frank Siracusa, Sheila Hockin, Kira Snyder and Yahlin Chang.