Jesse Lee Soffer is Leaving ‘Chicago P.D.’ After Season 10

The streets of Chicago are losing a beloved member of their police force.

Jesse Lee Soffer, who plays Detective Jay Halstead on “Chicago P.D.”, has confirmed via “Variety” that he will not be returning to the fan-favorite series after the 10th season.

Jesse has been with the series since it premiered in 2014, appearing in all 187 episodes. Jesse will make his exit from the series sometime this fall.

“I want to thank the incredible fans for their unwavering support during the past 10 years and want to express my deepest gratitude to Dick Wolf and everyone at Wolf Entertainment, Peter Jankowski, Matt Olmstead, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Rick Eid, Gwen Sigan, NBC, Universal Television, my fellow castmates and our incredible crew,” Jesse said. “To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show. I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead.”

Jesse first made his Chicago debut in season two of “Chicago Fire”, which eventually led to the spinoff series. As part of Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise, Jesse has since appeared in many “One Chicago” crossover events, making him a familiar face in “Chicago Med” as well.

Jesse took to Twitter to confirm his exit. “This is sad but true. Just want all the fans to know how grateful I am. You guys are why we do it! It has been an honor. Love you all ❤️”, he said.

This is sad but true. Just want all the fans to know how grateful I am. You guys are why we do it! It has been an honor. Love you all ❤️ https://t.co/UeQlHYxMMI

— Jesse Lee Soffer (@jesseleesoffer) August 30, 2022

Jesse has not confirmed his reason for leaving at this time.

“Chicago P.D” has experienced many changes since its debut in 2014, most famously Sophia Bush’s exit from the show in 2017. More recently, writer and executive producer Gwen Sigan took over as showrunner, as Rick Eid left to concentrate on his role as showrunner on both “Law & Order” and “FBI.”

In terms of Detective Jay Halstead’s ultimate fate, fans will have to wait and see. Don’t miss season ten of “Chicago P.D”, premiering September 21 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Hayley Santaflorentina