Sophia Bush left NBC’s Chicago PD ahead of the end of her contract back in 2017, but the reasons why she did so were only made known later. She came to fame thanks to the teen drama One Tree Hill, which aired first on the WB then on the CW from 2003 to 2012. Besides being an actor, Bush is also an activist, who advocated for various causes and is one of the founders of Time’s Up, a non-profit organization that offers support to the victims of sexual harassment.
Bush played Detective Erin Lindsay on Chicago PD seasons 1 until she left in season 4. Lindsay became part of the Intelligence Unit after Detective Sergeant Voight (Jason Beghe) took her under his wing when she was in juvenile detention. Accused of assault and risking dismissal from the force, Lindsay chose to go work with the FBI in New York. The Love, Victor actor was part of the main cast of Chicago PD but also appeared on the other shows of the franchise, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago Justice.
In an episode of the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Bush revealed why she left Chicago PD. She recounted how she was deeply unhappy, how the option of staying on Chicago PD would have meant “certain death,” and she wouldn’t have “made it out of here.” She mentioned the “consistent onslaught, barrage of abusive behavior” she was subjected to and even described an episode of aggression where the men present in the room as it happened looked away and did nothing to defend her. Bush described the poor working conditions that the cast and crew dealt with and alluded to how working in “below freezing temperatures” caused six PAs to get pneumonia. She claimed it was the work culture’s fault, as the attitude was “this is just what it is” and “get the job done.” Bush also disclosed she was led to believe she could not speak up on those issues, as “if your bosses tell you that if you cause a ruckus, you’ll cost everyone their job, you believe that.”
The actor cited the work culture again as a reason it was so difficult for her to raise the issue. Bush recounted that when she informed her attorneys and agents of the situation, they asked why she had not gone to them sooner; however, when she told her bosses that either things had to change or she would leave, she was told changes weren't possible. The Love, Victor actor also shared that the issues were hidden from the higher-ups, as when the head of the network at the time Jen Salke heard of it, she did not force her to stay, and Bush said she appreciated that.
All these factors made her realize she had always “prioritized tugging the ship for the crew and the show ahead of her own health.” Something had to change, or she would have “fallen apart.” Sophia Bush made a drastic decision to leave Chicago PD for her wellbeing, and it can only be hoped that others won't have to face similar working challenges.
