Patrick Flueger Leaves Chicago P.D., Expected to Return This Season

Patrick John Flueger, a series regular on Chicago P.D. since the show premiered in 2014, is taking an unexpected leave of absence from the NBC police drama to address a personal matter and is expected to return later this season, according to multiple reports and people familiar with the situation. Producers have begun reworking scripts to account for the absence of his character, Officer Adam Ruzek, in the current season.

Those familiar with the matter said the actor has been going through a difficult period privately, and some reports cited an instance of alcohol use on set. Flueger’s representatives and the series have not issued a public statement as of this writing. The leave comes early in Season 13, which has already been exploring the aftermath of events surrounding the Intelligence Unit and the team’s return to duty.

Ruzek has been a core member of the Intelligence Unit led by Sergeant Hank Voight and is one of the few original cast members who remained through the show’s run into its 13th season. The character married Detective Kim Burgess last season and the couple are raising their adopted daughter, Makayla. Storylines in recent seasons have also followed Ruzek’s...