Warning: Massive spoiler alert!

Rayna's reign over Nashville [1] came to an end this week, when she dies from complications related to her car accident. The death is devastating for Deacon and her kids, and actress Connie Britton opened up about the twist [2] in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. While she admits she probably won't watch the show anymore (she barely does now), she did say that she was willing to appear on the second half of the season, but the showrunners had already determined an end for Rayna's storyline. Britton confirmed that she'll appear on "at least a couple" more episodes, and she'll "absolutely" return for the series finale. Here are some other highlights from the interview.

• She had made up her mind to leave the show: "It was my decision. It was something that, for various reasons, had been percolating for me. What was really important to me was that it felt like the right time. This summer, when the show went to CMT, it felt solid and stable. When [producer] Marshall [Herskovitz] came in, we had a conversation and he came up with the way this story would lay out. We both agreed — and I said to him that what was most important to me was that we really do justice and honor the character and all of these characters and the world that we've been living in for these last five years."
• Her choice didn't have anything to do with the show's move to CMT: "There were a lot of different factors that played into it; it was a cumulative thing. I don't need to go into great detail about what that was but for me, it felt like the timing was important and my No. 1 priority was the show and making sure that it was done in the right way."
• Leaving the cast was harder than she anticipated: "It was incredibly emotional. It was very difficult for me and it still is. It's hard for me to talk about without getting a little choked up [pauses] . . . because I love this character so much and the people I've been fortunate to act with for the last five years and our crew. This has become an essential part of my life. It was really tough doing those last couple weeks especially. Those scenes were so emotional. Toward the last couple days, which is when we shot the really intense scenes in the ICU and the one where Rayna actually dies, nobody could get through them without crying. Saying goodbye is really hard."
• She would have chosen to end her run differently: "I actually said, 'Is there a way to do this where she doesn't die?' But we thought about it and [creator] Callie [Khouri], too, and we realized that Rayna would never leave her children or Deacon. So there really wasn't any other alternative. Trust me, if there had been that would have been my preference!"