Why did Sophia Bush leave ‘Chicago P.D.’?

When the best Chicago P.D. characters exit, you hope you’ll see them again, whether they return for a brief arc or even just one episode. You’d be fine with a random flashback scene because you miss them so much. But whether you’re thinking about the good old days when Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda) or Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush) were regular cast members, one thing remains true: sometimes great characters never come back.

Bush played Erin Lindsay from seasons 1 to 3 of Chicago P.D. after Chicago Fire fans got to know the character on that show first. While it’s been many years since Bush left the NBC procedural, her absence is still felt. Let’s find out why she decided to go.

The reason Sophia Bush left Chicago P.D.

Bush left Chicago P.D. in 2017 due to a “consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior” from one of her co-stars. She talked about this on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast and said she had an experience “when someone assaults you in a room full of people” and no one did anything.

That same year, NBC looked into Jason Beghe, who plays the intense Hank Voight, because of anger problems and how he acted on the TV drama’s set. He apologized and a source told Variety “The environment has improved drastically.” But it didn’t get better for Bush, and she knew it was time to step away.

According to Variety, Bush also shared her story on the Drama Queens podcast and said she was told she had to choose between speaking out about her Chicago P.D. co-star or the One Tree Hill showrunner Mark Schwann. Her rep said “you can’t tell both because then it looks like it’s your fault.” This is incredibly frustrating and terrible to hear about, but sadly a common story.

Since Bush had signed a contract for seven seasons, she might have kept playing Erin if this hadn’t happened. The actress has a history of playing strong characters, from a doctor dealing with family issues on Good Sam to the misunderstood and secretly vulnerable Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill. Bush clearly gave Erin her all, and she appreciated the storytelling on Chicago P.D. When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about Erin’s sad season 3 arc, she said, “We’re not a procedural show that’s just about a case. We really look at who these people are.”

It’s particularly tough hearing about Bush’s experience considering how close Erin Lindsay and Hank Voight were. Bush shared countless scenes with her co-star. From the first episodes of Chicago P.D., fans knew that Erin and Voight could relate to each other since Erin comes from a rough family and they’re both dealing with wounds from the past. Voight has a history of taking other agents under his wing, most recently with Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos).

While Chicago P.D. viewers would be more than a little excited to see Erin back on their TV screens again, Bush’s reappearance seems highly unlikely given her experience. At least we can watch her in the upcoming thriller The Stranger In My Home and follow her on Instagram, where she raises awareness about important issues.