Chicago Fire continues to set screens ablaze with non-stop action and chemistry that keeps fans hooked on both the firefighting drama and the personal lives of its stars. Set in the fictional Firehouse 51, the series is filmed at a real Chicago fire station on the Near West Side, according to the Chicago Tribune.
As part of Dick Wolf’s One Chicago franchise—which also includes Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med—Chicago Fire premiered in 2012 and has become a long-running favorite. Over the years, viewers have not only followed the heroic work of the firefighters but have also grown curious about their real-life relationships. Some cast members, like Dushon Monique Brown (Connie) and Monica Raymund, have left the show, while others have remained mainstays, balancing their careers and personal lives.
Here’s a look at the partners of some of your favorite Chicago Fire stars:
David Eigenberg – Married to Chrysti Kotik
David Eigenberg, who plays Christopher Hermann, met his wife Chrysti Kotik in 2002 while doing a meet-and-greet at an Army base where she was stationed. Surprisingly, she had never seen Sex in the City, where Eigenberg also played Miranda’s husband, Steve. After a friend helped him convince Kotik to spend a day together, they clicked instantly. Three months later, Eigenberg proposed.
The couple now has two children: Louis Steven (born 2009) and Myrna Belle (born 2014). Initially living in Los Angeles, the pair later moved to Chicago when Eigenberg joined Chicago Fire, enduring the city’s famously bitter winters together.
Jesse Spencer – Married to Kali Woodruff
Jesse Spencer, who plays Matthew Casey, met his wife, Kali Woodruff, at a music festival in Chicago in 2014. He proposed while they were trekking in the Andes in Peru in 2019. The couple married on June 27, 2020, in Florida, choosing the date to honor her grandparents’ wedding anniversary.
Woodruff is a Ph.D. candidate at Northwestern University, specializing in auditory neuroscience and psychoacoustics. Spencer praised her as “smart, pretty, and way ahead of her years,” calling her his “port in every storm.” The couple’s Chicago-based lives fit perfectly with Spencer’s filming schedule.
Taylor Kinney – High-Profile Past Engagements
Taylor Kinney, who plays Kelly Severide, is widely known for his past engagement to Lady Gaga. The pair met in July 2011 on the set of Gaga’s “Yoü and I” music video, got engaged on Valentine’s Day 2015, and split in July 2016. Kinney was also romantically linked to a radiologist named Alanna in 2016 and was seen with another woman in 2019.
Joe Minoso – Married to Caitlin Murphy Miles
Joe Minoso, who portrays Joe Cruz, met his wife Caitlin Murphy Miles on the set of Chicago Fire, where she worked as a makeup artist. The couple married on October 16, 2016, in a Chicago-themed, 1920s speakeasy-style wedding, complete with tables named after historic Chicago speakeasies and a photo-op in front of a firehouse door. The event was celebrated by the cast on social media, cementing their close-knit bond.
Kara Killmer – Married to Andrew Cheney
Kara Killmer, who plays Sylvie Brett, met her husband Andrew Cheney on the set of the 2015 film Beyond the Mask. They married on May 14, 2016, in Killmer’s home state of Texas. Killmer almost missed the casting for the film, but a last-minute audition led her to Cheney, who had joined the project after a referral. The couple credits fate and quick connections for bringing them together.
From Army bases to film sets and music video shoots, the off-screen romances of Chicago Fire stars reflect dedication, timing, and a little bit of serendipity. While the firefighters battle flames on screen, their partners navigate the real-life challenges of Hollywood schedules—and the two worlds often intersect in heartwarming ways.
