Chicago P.D.’s Patrick John Flueger Taking Leave of Absence From Show

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Chicago’s onscreen police force is temporarily down a member.

Patrick John Flueger, known for his role as Officer Adam Ruzek on Chicago P.D., is temporarily pausing his work on the show’s current thirteenth season, according to several news reports.

Patrick is taking a leave of absence for a personal reason and is expected back later this season. Details haven’t been released.

TopMob News has contacted Patrick’s representatives and NBC for a statement, but they haven’t responded yet.

Patrick has been a part of the NBC show since it began in 2014, and his character has become a key member of the intelligence unit. Over the years, viewers have seen his character develop a close friendship with Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) that evolved into a complicated romance, and they finally got married at the end of season 12.

The onscreen couple also share daughter Makayla, whom they adopted during season 8.

Before their characters get married on screen, Marina thought about why she believes her and Adam’s relationship resonated so much with fans of Chicago P.D.

In January 2024, she told People that she and Paddy have a natural connection because they’re best friends. She playfully admitted it made her sound young, then explained that their close friendship and enjoyment of working together really shines through on screen.

She exclaimed how wonderful her life was, especially her job. Unlike some actors who struggle to find work, she gets to perform almost daily. She’s also incredibly grateful for the positive atmosphere on set, where she’s formed close friendships. She feels lucky to have made five new best friends later in life.

Patrick is likely to reprise his role as Adam, but many other actors have unexpectedly left popular TV shows. Here’s a closer look.

You know, we’ve seen these characters almost get together a couple of times before, but this time felt different! When I asked Marina why this engagement finally worked, she playfully said the showrunners had finally decided we, the audience, had been through enough emotional rollercoaster rides and it was time for a happy ending!

Plus, she thought Adam’s simple proposal to Kim proved how much they’ve grown.

She explained that it was a simple, genuine connection between two adults. It wasn’t overly romantic or showy – no grand gestures, just a quiet understanding that they were meant to be together. She felt it was a natural expression of who they were, and a reflection of their commitment to a lasting relationship.

Since Chicago P.D. had recently marked its tenth anniversary when Marina was interviewed, she also discussed the show’s significance and influence.

She exclaimed how wonderful her life was, especially her job. Unlike some actors who struggle to find work, she gets to perform daily. She’s also incredibly grateful for the positive atmosphere on set, where she’s formed close bonds with her colleagues. She feels fortunate to have made five new best friends later in life, and considers herself very lucky.

Patrick is likely to reprise his role as Adam, but many other actors have surprised and saddened fans by leaving popular shows for good. Here’s a closer look.

In 2025, Mehcad Brooks surprised viewers by announcing his departure from the NBC crime series before its 25th season.

Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.

Jax Taylor has said he won’t be back for season three of The Valley. This comes after fans expressed concerns about his actions during the show’s second season.

I was really touched by what Jax said back in July 2025. He explained that right now, he needs to prioritize getting and staying sober, working on his mental health, and being a good coparent to Cruz. He said taking this time for himself is crucial so he can become the best dad and person possible for his son, and honestly, I completely support that. It’s a tough situation with everything happening with Brittany, but it’s good to see him focusing on what really matters.

I’m absolutely devastated! It feels like everyone I adore on Saturday Night Live is leaving all at once! Seriously, within just a few days, so many of my favorite cast members announced they weren’t coming back for the next season. It’s like the show is losing its heart, and I’m genuinely heartbroken about it. I can’t believe they’re all gone!

Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.

Following the departures of Longfellow, Walker, and Wakim from Saturday Night Live, Gardner and Nwodim, both popular cast members, also announced they wouldn’t be back for the show’s 51st season. Gardner had been with the show for eight seasons, and Nwodim for seven.

Sofia Mattsson finished her role on the long-running soap opera in the summer of 2025 after seven years as Sasha Gilmore. Her character moved to Paris as part of the storyline.

Tracy Ifeachor, who starred in the popular HBO Max series The Pitt, has left the show after its successful first season.

The actress shared on Instagram on July 10th how honored she was to play Dr. Heather Collins in what she described as a truly innovative season of the show. She also expressed gratitude to viewers for watching, supporting the first season, and sharing their personal experiences with her.

Even though fans likely expected Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, to die – his fate in April 2025 closely mirrored the events of The Last of Us Part II, the video game the second season of The Last of Us is based on – the shocking way his character was killed still came as a surprise.

Pascal, known for dying in roles on shows like Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wasn’t surprised by his character’s fate. He jokingly told Entertainment Weekly that he’s used to it, saying, “I like to die.”

Following what he called a “wild adventure,” Peter Krause finished his run as Captain Bobby Nash on the drama 9-1-1 in an episode airing in April 2025.

According to a statement given to the Hollywood Reporter, the character Bobby Nash was intentionally created to make a powerful sacrifice, reflecting the bravery of real-life first responders. The show’s creator, Krause, explained that Bobby’s storyline is meant to honor those who risk their lives to save others.

The decision to kill off a fan-favorite, though troubled, firefighter was definitely controversial, according to showrunner Tim Minear in an interview with Variety. He explained that after eight seasons, the show needed to raise the stakes, and that meant someone had to die if they wanted to tell compelling stories in the future.

Summer just got a little less fun.

Paige DeSorbo revealed in June 2025 that she would be leaving the Bravo series after being on the show for seven seasons.

Oh my gosh, it feels so weird even typing this, but our favorite, the incredible Jake, just announced he’s leaving the Giggly Squad! He said we’ve been with him through seven whole summers – SEVEN! – and he’s so thankful for all the fun times, the amazing community we’ve built together, and everything the podcast has given him. It’s like, he’s saying everything has to end eventually, even the good stuff (and, okay, maybe some mistakes were made along the way!), and it’s time to move on. I’m seriously heartbroken, but I want him to be happy, you know? It’s the end of an era!

The popular Netflix series will not feature the French actress in its fifth season, which is scheduled to release in April 2025.

In an Instagram post on April 23rd, the actress announced she’s leaving Emily in Paris. She shared photos with her former co-stars and described her time on the show as a fantastic experience full of growth, creativity, and cherished memories.

Before the third season of The Sex Lives of College Girls begins, Reneé Rapp has announced she will no longer be part of the show.

She shared on social media in July 2023 that the show College Girls brought her to Los Angeles and connected her with many of her closest friends. She added that after two and a half years, it’s also given her a wonderful community of fans like you.

Mindy Kaling, one of the show’s creators, also confirmed that Reneé Rapp was leaving. She shared on Instagram that they were sad to see Leighton Murray go, but excited for Rapp and her upcoming music tour, writing, “We love @reneerapp so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye to Leighton Murray! We can’t wait to see our friend on tour!!”

As a huge fan, I was really disappointed to finally hear from Kevin Costner himself in June 2024 that he won’t be back for the last season of the show. For over a year, there had been rumors about him leaving after four and a half seasons, and now it’s confirmed – he’s definitely moving on, and we won’t see his character finish out the series.

In February 2023, Ellen Pompeo finished her run as Meredith Grey on the ABC drama after playing the role for 19 years.

Pompeo shared on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022 that she felt the need to try new things. At 53, she described her brain as feeling ‘scrambled,’ and explained she couldn’t keep doing the same routine, like completing The New York Times crossword puzzle daily. Despite this, she has since returned to the show as a guest and continues to narrate the series.

As a huge fan of The Witcher, I was really surprised to hear that Henry Cavill won’t be returning as Geralt after season three. He’s been amazing in the role, but he’s moving on, and Liam Hemsworth will be taking over as Geralt starting with season four – and it sounds like he might continue in the part for seasons to come. It’s definitely a big change, and I’m curious to see how Liam brings his own take to the character.

In an October 2022 Instagram post, Henry Cavill announced that after playing Geralt of Rivia, he would be stepping down from his role for Season 4, saying his time battling monsters and going on adventures as the character had come to an end.

Jesse Lee Soffer, an original cast member, left the show in 2022 after playing Detective Jay Halstead for ten seasons.

Everyone involved with the show has poured their heart and soul into making each week’s episode, and it’s been a rewarding experience,” said Jesse Soffer after his last appearance on the NBC show on October 5th. “I’m incredibly proud of my work as Detective Jay Halstead.

After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime’s Billions in Oct. 2021.

In August 2021, Emily VanCamp left the TV show The Resident on Fox, meaning she would no longer be playing her role as a doctor.

As a lifestyle expert, I follow industry news closely, and it was a surprise when Madeleine Mantock, who played Macy on the Charmed reboot, decided to leave after three seasons back in 2021. She really seemed to embrace the role, and in a statement, she shared how much she valued the experience and enjoyed working with everyone involved – the producers, writers, and the entire cast and crew. It truly sounded like a wonderful collaboration for her.

Elizabeth Keen will never learn the truth about Raymond Reddington. Actress Megan Boone decided to leave The Blacklist after eight seasons, and her character was killed off before she could read a crucial letter containing the answers. Boone described her time on the show as “a dream” in a 2021 Instagram post, marking the end of Liz’s story.

The second season of Bridgerton didn’t feature the Duke, as Rege-Jean Page, who became a fan favorite in the first season of the popular Netflix drama, chose not to return in 2021, disappointing many viewers.

He told Vanity Fair that he simply did the work he’d agreed to, and then took on additional assignments. ‘That’s all there is to it,’ he said. ‘I wish there was a more exciting story behind it.’

Ruby Rose first appeared as Batwoman (Kate Kane) in a 2018 Arrowverse event and then led the CW’s Batwoman series for one season, becoming the first openly lesbian superhero to have her own show. She announced her departure from the role in 2020, just two days after the season one finale. In season two, Javicia Leslie took over as Ryan Wilder, a new character who would become the next Batwoman.

Later on in season two, Kate got a bit of a face swap and returned played by Wallis Day.

America Ferrera left the show Superstore after its fifth season in 2020, which meant both a change for the characters at Cloud 9 and a loss for the show’s main cast. Although she appeared in the first two episodes of the sixth season due to pandemic-related delays, when the sixth season became the show’s last, she returned for the final episode to give her character, Amy, and Ben Feldman’s character, Jonah, a satisfying conclusion to their story.

In the final episode of the fourth season of the Syfy show The Magicians, Jason Ralph’s character, Quentin, successfully rescued Eliot (played by Hale Appleman) but died in the process. Although the show often features character deaths—it is called The Magicians—Ralph did not reprise his role in the fifth and final season.

Ahead of the final season, Arrow‘s Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.

Felicity and I are very close, but after completing grades one through seven, we’ll be leaving.

She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show’s 2020 series finale.

Lauren Cohan initially left The Walking Dead in 2018 after difficult contract talks. While she appeared in a few episodes of season nine, her character, Maggie Greene, disappeared after a time jump of six years. Show producers wanted her to come back, and when her short-running TV show Whiskey Cavalier was canceled, she did. Cohan returned to The Walking Dead in the 16th episode of season ten, which aired in October 2020.

Following Danai Gurira’s co-star Cohan and Andrew Lincoln’s departures from the show, Gurira also left the zombie series. She joined the AMC show in its third season as the skilled swordswoman Michonne and appeared for the last time in an episode that aired in March 2020.

Nicollette Sheridan played the famous Alexis Carrington, appearing in several episodes of the first season and becoming a main cast member in the second. In 2019, she decided to leave the CW series before its third season to care for her sick mother.

George Eads left the CBS show in 2019, during its third season. He stated he wanted to focus on spending more time with his family.

The show Lethal Weapon on Fox has seen its share of cast changes. Clayne Crawford was let go after season two, and Damon Wayans also planned to leave after the show’s third season, which had 13 episodes. Wayans announced in October 2018 that he would be quitting in December, explaining he was a 58-year-old diabetic working long hours. He jokingly referenced his character, Murtaugh, saying, ‘too old for this.’

Fortunately, the producers didn’t have to worry about finding a replacement, as the show ended after just three seasons.

Ian Gallagher, played by Cameron Monaghan, ended up in jail on the show Shameless. While Monaghan initially left the series during its ninth season, mirroring his character’s fate, he ultimately decided to return for seasons 10 and 11. Despite being ready to move on to new roles after nine years, he stayed with the show until its conclusion in December 2020.

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2025-10-22 14:49