What happened to Upton on ‘Chicago PD?’

Chicago PD is back. The beloved procedural drama recently kicked off its 12th season on NBC. It’s business as usual for Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) and the rest of the Intelligence Unit. There is one big change, though. Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos), the officer who has been by Voight’s side since season 4, is gone.

Upton was MIA during the season 12 premiere, and there wasn’t even a mention of her. There was, however, a new officer who joined the IU (though their stint proved short-lived). What’s going on with Upton? Well, you’ve come to the right place for answers. Here’s what you need to know about the status of the veteran character.

Did Hailey Upton leave Chicago PD?

Hailey Upton had an emotionally taxing season 11. She divorced Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) after he left the country, and she became so consumed with her work that it began to bleed over into her personal life. The season 11 finale, in which Upton raced against the clock to save Voight from a serial killer, proved to be the last straw.

Upton told Voight that she couldn’t see herself staying on with the IU. She needed a fresh start, and decided to turn in her badge before leaving Chicago behind. The closing moments of the season 11 finale sees Upton get in a taxi and head to the airport. Where? We are never told, but the smile on her face confirms that it’s the right decision.

Upton and Voight got a chance to say goodbye to one another, but unfortunately, fans were not given the chance to see the former share a final moment with co-workers like Burgess (Marina Squierciati), Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) or Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins).

Is Upton coming back to Chicago PD in season 12?

Tracy Spiridakos announced that she would be leaving Chicago PD before season 11 premiered. Her exit was a long time coming, and the attention given to Upton’s sendoff would be somewhat undone if she simply returned a few episodes later.

There was only so many places left for Upton to go, as far as Spiridakos was concerned, and she told Deadline that she extremely pleased with the way it all went down. “I feel really good about it,” she asserted. “It’s this really happy send-off for her and I absolutely love it.”

That said, the actress hasn’t shut the door completely on a return. She’s still close with the other PD cast members, and she told the outlet that she would be thrilled to return for a cameo if the situation called for it. “I would love to reappear, that would be amazing,” she noted. “I love this whole group of people.”