Why did Sophia Bush leave Chicago PD?

Character and actor departures are far from unfamiliar to One Chicago fans. Like in most long-running franchises, the One Chicago franchise shows of Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago PD have each had their fair share of cast shakeups over the years.

While some of these casting departures have been expected, most have taken fans by surprise and led to the exits of several beloved characters across the franchise’s combined seasons.

Among the franchise’s most shocking exits was the departure of actress Sophia Bush, who stepped away from her role as Detective Erin Lindsay after four seasons and close to 100 episodes.

After playing an integral part in the show in the first four seasons, Bush exited the series after the season 4 finale with her character being written out as having moved to New York City to take a job with the FBI. Many fans had hoped we’d eventually see Bush return, even if just for a guest appearance; however, all these years later there has been no sign of Bush staging a return.

Even after all these years, fans still question the circumstances behind her departure and whether there is any chance we could see Lindsay return to the Intelligence Unit again. Sadly, though, it’s unlikely Bush would ever return given the reasons behind her exit.

Why did Sophia Bush leave Chicago PD?

While many One Chicago cast departures have been the result of their characters’ storylines’ natural progression or the decision by the actor not to sign on for additional seasons at the conclusion of their contracts, Sophia Bush’s exit was shrouded in a bit more controversy.

As Bush revealed after her departure, she stepped away from the show for personal reasons as a result of what she described to Dax Shepard during an appearance on his Armchair Expert podcast as “a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior.”

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According to Bush, she stuck around for as long as she did because of her concern about the crew and cast potentially losing their jobs if she were to walk away from the show. However, when conditions did not improve, she decided to walk away from the show leading to her character’s exit.

"“I quit because, what I’ve learned is I’ve been so programmed to be a good girl and to be a workhorse and be a tug boat that I have always prioritized tugging the ship for the crew, for the show, for the group, ahead of my own health,” Bush revealed. “My body was, like, falling apart, because I was really, really unhappy.”"

Will Sophia Bush ever return to Chicago PD?

Although we would love to see Erin Lindsay return even if just to solve one more case with her former partners, it’s unlikely Sophia Bush will return to Chicago PD at any point in the future due to the circumstances that led to her departure.

While we’ve learned to never say never, Bush has never once looked back after leaving Chicago PD and it’s clear she encountered a variety of concerning situations while working on the show’s early seasons. Given she did not part ways with the show on the best of terms, it’s unlikely she’d be interested in returning even in a guest role.

The actress’ recent appearance on the Drama Queens podcast seemingly confirms that she has no interest in returning to PD. She told the host that she was advised not to discuss the behind the scenes drama she encountered on the set, because of similar experiences on the show One Tree Hill and the concern that a recurring issue would make it seem as though she was the problem. Check out the full episode here.

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