Taylor Kinney Takes Leave Of Absence From NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’

EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Kinney, a fan favorite who plays Kelly Severide on Chicago Fire, is taking a break from the NBC drama.

Kinney has starred as the firefighter on the Dick Wolf procedural since its launch in 2012. A source close to the production confirmed to Deadline that Kinney is taking a leave of absence to deal with a personal matter.

Cast and crew were apparently informed of Kinney’s leave earlier Friday. It is likely that future scripts will have to be rewritten to accommodate his absence.

A spokesman for the show would not comment. Kinney has been nominated three times for a People’s Choice Award for his work on the series. He won in 2015.

Kinney’s Kelly Severide is a member of Rescue Squad 3. He was long known as a ladies man on the drama (surprised?) but has recently been in a more stable relationship with Stella Kidd, played by Miranda Rae Mayo. They tied the knot at the end of Season 10.

Jesse Spencer, who exited the series in 2021 after a decade on the firefighter drama, returned to stand alongside Kinney for the Season 10 finale, titled “The Magnificent City of Chicago,” that aired last May.

New episodes of Chicago Fire resume February 8 on NBC.