Jellyfin is entering a major leadership transition following the departure of project leader Joshua Boniface and longtime core team member Anthony Lavado. Their exit comes only days after Andrew Rabert, another of the project’s original figures, also stepped away from the Jellyfin organization.
Boniface announced that he and Lavado will leave their roles effective July 19, 2026. He stated the transition is amicable, communication with the team continues, and there is minimal risk to Jellyfin’s immediate future. For him, the primary reason is burnout.
“I simply could no longer provide the effort (mental or time-wise) that the role demanded, and thus I was not performing my duties to an acceptable degree, facing severe burnout, and risks to my mental health. It was time to step aside.”
Boniface has led Jellyfin since its inception in late 2018, when it was launched as a fully open-source fork of Emby. The project has grown from a small community effort into one of the most widely used worldwide self-hosted media servers and a leading free alternative to commercial platforms like Plex.
He said he initially expected Jellyfin to attract only hundreds or perhaps a few thousand users. Seven and a half years later, the software is used by millions of users.
Lavado’s departure is due to different circumstances. While he was not recently active in coding, he managed app store operations, public outreach, releases, finances, and other administrative tasks.
After nearly eight years with Jellyfin, Lavado stated that personal changes now require his attention elsewhere. He has committed to assisting with the transition for as long as needed, even if it takes a year.
Coincidence or not, these departures follow Andrew Rabert’s resignation on July 17. Rabert had been developing a new desktop client to address limitations in Jellyfin Media Player, such as HDR support and maintenance issues. The application has been moved outside the official project and renamed Jellium Desktop.
Rabert cited increasing disagreements over the development approach, including opposition to his use of AI-assisted tools. The restrictive environment led to his decision to leave the official project.
Expectably, the close timing of the three departures raises questions about Jellyfin’s governance and who will take responsibility for the many duties previously handled by its longtime leaders.
In any case, however, users should not view this as the end of Jellyfin. A broad group of developers and contributors, many with years of experience, continue to maintain the project. Boniface stated that Jellyfin remains in capable hands and expects it to thrive after his departure.
There is also no indication that the Jellyfin server, its applications, or its repositories are being abandoned. Development continues, and both departing team members are working with the remaining maintainers to transfer their responsibilities.
For additional details, see Boniface’s announcement on Jellyfin’s forums.
