Was Shirley's departure from Laverne and Shirley permanent or temporary?

Shirley's departure from Laverne and Shirley was both permanent and temporary. Shirley (played by Cindy Williams) left the show after the fifth season due to a contract dispute with Paramount Pictures. Despite Shirley's departure, the show continued on for four more seasons without her. During the show's finale, Shirley returned for a brief cameo, which marked the end of her involvement with the show.

Despite her original departure being permanent, Shirley's character has made a few additional appearances over the years. In 1982, she appeared in a reunion episode of the show called “The Big Break-Up.” Additionally, she made a cameo appearance in the television movie, Laverne and Shirley Together Again in 1993.

In 2018, Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall (who played Laverne) reunited for a commercial for the video game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. This commercial marked the first time the two had appeared together on television in over 30 years. Although Shirley's departure from Laverne and Shirley was permanent, her character has made several appearances over the years, including her most recent appearance in the Call of Duty commercial.