After bringing the romance of Upstead to life Chicago P.D, Tracy Spiridakos i Jesse Lee Soffer formed an off-screen connection.
Soffer was previously linked Sophia Bush i Torrey DeVitto before sparking romance rumors with Spiridakos. Soffer and Spiridakos met on the set of the Dick Wolf police drama while playing Hailey Upton and Jay Halstead, respectively. Their fictional characters had a slow-burn romance that led to their on-screen marriage.
The actor, however, surprised fans in 2022 when announced his departure from the show.
“I guess the word is out. Jesse, what can I say, you are the best. Thank you for your kindness, guidance and friendship,” Spiridakos wrote via Instagram at the time. “You are the best onscreen husband a girl could ask for. I will miss being on set with you everyday. Can’t wait to see what the world has in store for you next. #upsteadforever.”
The One Chicago franchise is known for its frequent departures at this point, but Sophia Bush and more stars haven’t slowed down since stepping away from Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, or Chicago Med. Bush, for example, talked about his departure from Chicago PD after season 4. “I realized that while I was thinking (…)
Subsequently, in October 2023, news broke that Spiridakos was leaving Chicago P.D after season 11.
“I decided at the end of my sixth season (aka season 10 of the series),” he told Variety in May. “So that’s when I reached out to (showrunner) Gwen (Sigan) and everyone at Wolf to let them know I just wanted to do one more year.”
Spiridakos called the decision “very, very hard,” adding, “I was just curious about what was in it for me and I wanted to change it, and that was it.”
On screen, Upton and Halstead went through a divorce to adjust to the individual departures of Spiridakos and Soffer. Although the co-stars no longer share the screen, Spiridakos and Soffer have continued to spend time together.
In January 2024, rumors surfaced that Soffer and Spiridakos have been secretly dating for years. Neither actor has publicly addressed the romance speculation, but they have remained together out of the public eye.
Keep scrolling to relive their romance:
2017
Tracy Spiridakos joined Chicago P.D in the second half of Season 4 after Jesse Lee Soffer had been with the NBC series since the pilot. Their characters were matched and a romance ensued. Upton and Halstead eventually became engaged and married during their Chicago PD trip.
2018
Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer
KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty ImagesJesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos hit the red carpet for the fourth annual OneChicago Press Day in Chicago.
2019
Jesse Lee Soffer, Tracy Spiridakos.
Lori Allen/NBCTracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer attended One Chicago’s press day again a year later.
2021
Jesse Lee Soffer spoke exclusively Us Weekly about filming a sex scene with Tracy Spiridakos, saying, “I don’t have time for TV, so if you tell me it was intense, that’s fine. It was intense.”
Soffer added, “We’ve been playing couples and love interests for so long, it’s second nature. Plus, I was on a soap for a while and she’s worked so hard! It’s like, ‘Okay, sex scene?’ I get it.” It’s been easy. They’re a great scene partner to have.”
2022
Jesse Lee Soffer first announced his departure from the show — with Spiridakos following a year later. While Soffer returned to direct episodes, Upton and Halstead’s fictional hookup took off and they divorced before Upton’s departure.
2023
Tracy Spiridakos gushed when Jesse Lee Soffer returned to host the show before his departure, writing via Instagram: “Tonight’s episode was hosted by the one and only, our very own @jesseleesoffer 🥳🥳🥳!! And you guys, it’s so good. You don’t want to miss it.”
Soffer, meanwhile, took to social media to celebrate Spiridakos’ legacy. “I got to watch Tracy’s latest episode of Chicago PD (airing tonight) and she is FANTASTIC in it! 🙂 You should go check it out!” she wrote via Instagram at the time.
If there’s one thing Dick Wolf isn’t afraid of, it’s killing off a beloved character. A fact fans of the One Chicago universe know all too well. The franchise started in 2012 with Chicago Fire. Chicago PD was added in 2014 and Chicago Med debuted in 2015. Each show’s cast has (…)
August 2024
The couple went on a European vacation together in Portugal, of which they shared photos on social media.
“Europe is kinda cool 😘😘,” Jesse Lee Soffer wrote via Instagram alongside photos that included Tracy Spiridakos
February 2026
Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos
Lori Allen/NBCNBC announced that Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer they met in the three parts One Chicago special crossover According to the synopsis for the March 2026 episode, Upton “returns to his old stomping grounds, but this time on the federal level as an FBI special agent.” She “joins her old PD allies after a drug task force case out of her Detroit field office brings her back to Chicago.”
Halstead, meanwhile, “took a job in the military in Bolivia, tracking drug cartel targets.” More recently, he “has been deeply undercover which leads him on a path to the very case Upton is investigating.”