Afton Williamson (The Night Of, Banshee) played LAPD Officer Talia Bishop in the first season of the ABC police procedural The Rookie. She served as the training officer for Nathan Fillion’s character John Nolan, who became the oldest rookie in the Los Angeles Police Department after surviving a bank robbery. With her goal of eventually becoming a detective and then Chief of Police, it appeared that Bishop would stick around for the entire run of the series.
However, at the beginning of Season 2, Williamson departed the show as the second — but not the last — main cast member to leave. The actor said she was subjected to racism, bullying, sexual harassment and assault, and the character of Bishop was written out of The Rookie. Between Williamson’s departure and the exit of Mercedes Mason, the character of Nolan lost two of his biggest allies early in the series. Here’s who Talia Bishop was and why Afton Williamson left The Rookie.
What Happened to Talia Bishop on The Rookie?
Talia Bishop was a member of the LAPD assigned to the Mid-Wilshire Division as a training officer. Bishop grew up in the foster care system and escaped a turbulent childhood, determined to build a successful career. She worked closely with John Nolan throughout the first season, and even though they often didn’t see eye-to-eye, Nolan respected Bishop’s position and mentorship. Even though his mistakes and dangerous experiences in the field were sometimes costly and had the potential to affect her growth in the LAPD, Bishop saw plenty of potential in Nolan and reminded him that he wasn’t like the other rookies. She encouraged him to find his voice and not treat his age as a liability, but consider it a strength. Eventually, after hard work and plenty of life-and-death experiences, Bishop realized that Nolan was a worthwhile rookie. The two didn’t exactly become friends, but they weren’t just a training officer and her “boot” anymore, either. It was a relationship many fans of The Rookie were eager to see evolve into full-on friendship.
Many Season 1 storylines explored Bishop’s past and personal life, as the show would later do with other officers. In the episode “Homefront,” Bishop reconnected with one of her foster brothers and learned he had a criminal history. She struggled with wanting to get close to him but also feeling ashamed of his former illegal activities, to the point where she didn’t list him as one of her foster siblings on her academy application. However, Bishop confronted her inner judgments about him and later rectified her actions.
In the Season 2 premiere “Impact,” it was revealed that Bishop had moved on from the LAPD. The character had become a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). She was not seen on-screen and has never reappeared on the show, for reasons which became clear when Williamson came forward with her claims about what had happened behind the scenes. The character has never been mentioned and, obviously, hasn’t returned for a cameo appearance. Since she left, the show’s completed six seasons with The Rookie earning a renewal for its seventh season debuting in January 2025.
Why Afton Williamson Left The Rookie Cast
Afton Williamson stated that she left The Rookie after she experienced racial discrimination, bullying, and inappropriate comments from the show’s hair department and executive producers. In an Instagram post, Williamson wrote:
I will not be returning for Season 2 of The Rookie.” I owe it to you my amazing fans to share the Truth. Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers. During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. escalated into sexual assault at our wrap party.
Williamson noted in the post that she reported the harassment to showrunner Alexi Hawley, but stated that her complaint remained undocumented and “not reported to HR as promised.” The actor added that while the head of the show’s hair department was fired, the bullying continued during production and “escalated into sexual assault” at Season 1’s wrap party.
The lead studio on The Rookie, Entertainment One, told The Hollywood Reporter that “We take claims of this nature very seriously. We have initiated an independent investigation which is ongoing and as such, it would not be appropriate to comment at this time.” While Williamson certainly wanted the offenders to face accountability, she also wanted to raise awareness of problems still facing women and people of color in Hollywood. “My prayer is that we get to a point in this industry where we don’t just talk about it in 2-hour mandatory meetings. But we adhere to keeping the promises made to everyone on every set,” she wrote on social media.
ABC Investigated Afton Williamson’s Allegations on The Rookie Set
In her initial Instagram post, Williamson said she was offered the opportunity to return as Bishop for The Rookie Season 2, but chose not to continue. In the wake of her allegations, ABC and eOne, who produces the show, launched an independent, third-party investigation.
In 2019, EW reported that the investigation found no wrongdoing on the set of The Rookie. “We have concluded that those identified in Ms. Williamson’s allegations did not conduct themselves in an unlawful manner or demonstrate behavior inappropriate for the workplace,” the studio said. “It was also concluded that the executive producers, including showrunner Alexi Hawley, addressed matters of which they were made aware promptly and in a fair and reasonable manner.”
eOne added that it understood that even though its invesgitators found no wrongdoing, it condceded that “We recognize and respect that as individuals, the lens through which we view situations, interactions and comments, can differ based on our experiences and perspectives. As such, we regret that Ms. Williamson’s time on the series was not a positive one for her, and we respect her decision to move on to other projects.”
How Afton Williamson Responded to the Findings of the Investigation
After the results of the investigation were made public, she added in an Instagram follow-up: “What saddens me the most is that the lengths that were taken to deceive, lie, and cover up the truth, were far greater than those made to protect and maintain a safe working environment for employees. It’s heartbreaking for everyone on that set.”
Williamson continued: As a black woman, an artist, an actor, in 2019. My speaking the truth, standing up for myself, and leaving an unsafe work environment, changed things for a lot of people: black women, artists, actors, victims, and survivors of injustice and discrimination; gave hope and a promise that things will change; that things are changing. And that is not in vain. My prayer is that we get to a point in this industry where we don’t just talk about it in 2-hour mandatory meetings. But we adhere to keeping the promises made to everyone on every set, tirelessly fulfilling their dreams with passion and dedication. In order to be the change, I want to see, I will continue to work so that casts & crews alike finally see words align with action. We’ve got to do better as an industry. It’s just talk until you actually do something.
Williamson has not made a public post on her Instagram account since then. She also has not had an acting credit since 2020’s Still Here, a timely drama about a Black family whose 12-year-old daughter goes missing. It is unclear whether Williamson has decided to leave the public spotlight behind, or if she is having difficulty finding roles after speaking out so publicly against the producers of The Rookie.
