When Sophia Bush abruptly left Chicago P.D. after Season 4 wrapped in 2018, she didn’t give much of an explanation, other than to say it was her choice. Over the decade or so since, more has come to light, as Bush has opened up more and more about her decision to leave, calling out a toxic work environment and "inappropriate behavior" from co-stars, including the show’s lead, Jason Beghe. Bush has a new memoir out, and she recently spoke about it, including some of her reasons for not discussing why she left the show and how it compared to Megyn Kelly.
Bush explained to Variety:
There are 200 people that I care very much about, whose jobs are the lifeline for their families. It’s not my place to choose when to speak for other people who aren’t ready and might not ever be. That’s part of the reason it took us so long after Wilmington. It takes people a lot of time, and I think that’s OK.
Bush, who is rarely one to pull punches about her work on One Tree Hill and other shows, talked about how sometimes it's very hard for people, especially women, to be open and forthright about past abuse, and they shouldn’t be criticised for not being so immediately. It takes time to process these things. She made a comparison to former Fox News anchor Kelly:
I think this reaction that women aren’t allowed to speak after a certain amount of time is so strange. You see it in the manosphere and their traitorous female allies. You see Megyn Kelly critiquing the Jane Doe at Cornell. Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly didn’t speak up about her abuse at the hands of Roger Ailes for over 10 years, so it’s a very strange thing that the universe wants to do in that space in general.
Harsh words, for sure, but I do understand where Bush is coming from, and her experience is hers alone.
She has still not fully revealed everything that went on during her time on Chicago P.D., but only she can decide if and when she wants to talk about it more. Even her reasons aren’t important, really, because, again, this is all very personal, just as it was for Kelly.
The TV vet has stayed busy since leaving, most recently wrapping up a two-season arc on Grey’s Anatomy during the first half of the 2026 TV schedule, and has been busy promoting her book in more recent weeks. The former One Tree Hill star will next be seen in the next installment of The Cheetah Girls, The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, which will be available with a Disney+ subscription on the 2027 movie schedule. No date has been announced yet.
