Fans Were Devastated When Sophia Bush Left Chicago P.D., But Now She's Doing Better Than Ever

When "Chicago P.D." premiered in 2014, one of the show's key cast members was Sophia Bush, who starred as Detective Erin Lindsay — a role she reprised from "Chicago Fire," making Erin one of the "One Chicago" characters we've seen in multiple shows. She has featured throughout the franchise in "Chicago Med," "Chicago Justice," and even a few episodes of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Bush left "Chicago P.D." at the end of Season 4. But while fans of the hit drama were shocked, saddened, and incensed to see her go at the time, it's clear that the actor is living her best life years after leaving the Windy City. It took some time to get there, though. 

Bush's acrimonious exit from "Chicago P.D." in 2017 was the start of a rather tumultuous period for the "One Tree Hill" star. She married her second husband in 2022, only for Bush and Grant Hughes to get divorced in 2023. Then, in 2024, the actor penned an article for Glamour in which she came out as simply "queer," declining to put too fine a point on her sexuality. But while this was incredibly liberating, it was also difficult, given the stigma and legal hurdles still faced by the LGBTQIA+ community.

Still, the former Detective Lindsay made it clear that coming out allowed her to cross the threshold into a much better place. "I have real joy. It took me 41 years to get here," she wrote. What's more, Bush's fans have been firmly in her corner through it all. As one X user wrote in August 2026, "[You] do not [realize] how important it is for me that [Bush] is queer and such an outspoken activist for many causes [that's] literally my girl."

Many "Chicago P.D." fans were, at best, confused and, at worst, angry when the news broke that Sophia Bush would be leaving the show in May 2017. As one user wrote in a Reddit thread about the announcement, "Whaaaat.. she was basically the main character and her and Hank's relationship are a huge part of the series. I'm shocked." Even back then, some viewers speculated that there was more to this story than met the eye. "Didn't she get top billing? Something seems off about her leaving," one such Reddit user commented. Those sensing something fishy were proven right when Sophia Bush started to reveal exactly why she left "Chicago P.D." so abruptly. 

One of her first public acknowledgements of her exit came in an October 2017 Instagram comment, which clarified, "I left because I wanted to. End of story," (via The Hollywood Reporter). Bush further opened up about her negative experience on "Chicago P.D." during an appearance on the "Armchair Expert" podcast in December 2018, describing her time on the show as grueling, abusive, and belittling. "My body was, like, falling apart, because I was really, really unhappy," she shared.

However, the "John Tucker Must Die" star is undeniably thriving in the long run. Her 2024 coming-out article coincided with the start of her relationship with soccer star Ashlyn Harris, which is still going strong as of 2026. Outside her love life and well-documented pro-LGBTQIA+ activism, the actor has also been nurturing a dual career as a Union Heritage partner since 2021, alongside regularly booking roles. Talk about winning.