Why Sophia Bush Quit ‘Chicago P.D.’

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Sophia Bush attends Hello Sunshine x Together Live at Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on November 12, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.

Sophia Bush released a memoir called “And I Will Tell You Mine” and didn’t hold back. She opened up about her past marriages and jobs. The actress claimed she left her role as Erin Lindsay on “Chicago P.D.” because of a colleague.

Sophia Bush Says She Was Abused by a ‘Chicago P.D.’ Colleague

The “One Tree Hill” star played one of the original characters in the police show, which premiered in 2014. Her time ended after four seasons in 2017. Bush revealed in her memoir that it was a harmful work environment for her.

“An inappropriate comment. A raised voice. A hair pull,” she wrote, according to E! News. “A held breath. A clenched jaw. A clenched fist. Fist connecting with flesh. And then, worse. Much worse.”

The actress said that before the show premiered, the alleged abuse began. She also claimed other people witnessed it and did nothing.

“Things done when there were fewer people in the room, but the rooms were never empty. Averted eyes, silenced protests, and whispers when something went wrong,” read the book. “Knowing our set was the one talked about on all the others. Bracing for conflict, for screaming, for humiliation when something, anything, triggered outsized rage.”

Bush’s breaking point was when she experienced hives, hair loss, and changes in her weight from the stress. At the time of her exit, her development deal with 20th Century Fox TV became public. She shared it on Instagram and confirmed to a commenter that she decided to leave “Chicago P.D.”

Sophia Bush Previously Spoke Out about ‘One Tree Hill’s Showrunner

The actress also noted that she endured working on “Chicago P.D.” because of her past on “One Tree Hill.” She rose to fame playing Brooke Davis on the CW series. Mark Schwahn created the hit show, and women later accused him of harassment in 2017.

Hilarie Burton accused the showrunner of forcing himself on her twice sometime after season 2, according to Variety. She claimed the show pitted the women against each other by spreading false rumors about his physical interactions with them.

Bush supported a writer on the teen drama named Audrey Wauchope by retweeting her account that a showrunner touched her without her consent. Schwahn was fired from “The Royals” at the time, and hasn’t written on a show since.

The actress appeared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast to speak about her memoir. She said she was hesitant to talk about the “One Tree Hill” showrunner when asked at the time.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I’m like on the lower end, closer. I’m like on … a four. There are women who experienced him at a 10,’” she said. “And it’s not my place to tell their stories.”

Once the other women spoke out, she joined them to make a collective statement. Bush hasn’t named the alleged abusive person connected to “Chicago P.D.” or whether that person is still working on the show.