The Real Reason Hilarie Burton Left One Tree Hill

According to Entertainment Tonight, Hilarie Burton opened up about her decision to leave "One Tree Hill" while speaking on a podcast in 2020. 

Burton admitted that she was "a bit lost" in life and felt "miserable" while filming the series. In addition, she suffered the death of a friend, which made her decide to start living with intention. "I don't regret that at all," Burton said of leaving the show. "I knew that I needed to start something new. It was time. I had a big chip on my shoulder and I just needed to put it down. It was time to make a change, so I left 'One Tree Hill.' I'd always wanted to travel and write, so I started to work on a novel, bought a one-way ticket to Paris, and rented an apartment across from Notre Dame Cathedral."

Meanwhile, despite fans being upset over Peyton and Lucas' exit, the actress says that she loves the way her character exited the series. "I was very happy with that. Chad and I had been in the pilot and we had been setting up the whole Lucas-Peyton star-crossed lovers thing the whole time on the show so I was really happy with that happy ending and the marriage and the baby," Burton confessed. "The family was complete and that's what both characters were looking for. Sometimes, it's better to cut out in a good spot." 

Meanwhile, fans still obsess over Petyon and "OTH" to this day. Some are even hoping for a reboot of the series – only time will tell.