Sophia Bush revisited her difficult Chicago P.D. exit, revealing an unsettling message she received from a former costar. In her new memoir, the actress described alleged on-set mistreatment that contributed to her decision to leave the NBC drama.
Bush played Detective Erin Lindsay for four seasons before departing in 2017. Her account detailed the emotional and physical toll of working in an environment where she said anger, intimidation, and humiliation had become familiar.
Sophia Bush details alleged on-set mistreatment and an unsettling message from a former Chicago P.D. costar
In And I Will Tell You Mine: Notes from a Life in Progress, Bush recalled behavior that made the set feel increasingly difficult to navigate. “An inappropriate comment. A raised voice. A hair pull. A held breath. A clenched jaw. A clenched fist,” she wrote, describing escalating incidents and colleagues who allegedly stayed silent.
As per Just Jared, the actress also connected her response to lessons learned on One Tree Hill. She explained how years of prioritizing work had taught her to endure situations rather than challenge them. “I’ve been told I am alarmingly high functioning, but up until then, I had just called it ‘being a professional,’” Bush wrote.
Eventually, the pressure showed physically through hives and weight issues. She gave notice in summer 2016, before her departure became public. Bush later learned a journalist had heard she was leaving because of “an assault by one of her co-stars.” The resulting article never ran with those allegations.
Bush did not identify the man in her memoir, but recalled receiving a text from him after a separate article addressed the controversy. “My stomach dropped when I saw his name on my lock screen,” she wrote. The message contained only a link to the published “clean-up piece.”
She said the article claimed he felt remorse and had apologized to those he hurt. “Not to me, I thought. Not ever,” Bush wrote, adding that she was finally “done holding my breath.”
In 2017, Variety published an apology from Chicago P.D. star Jason Beghe concerning his behavior. Bush did not name Beghe in her book, so the identity of the costar behind her account remains unconfirmed. “I have struggled with anger issues for some time,” Beghe said, describing work with a coach to manage his temper. He also said he had personally apologized to colleagues he upset.
Bush’s memoir, And I Will Tell You Mine: Notes from a Life in Progress, is available now.
