After months out of the spotlight, Chicago Fire fan favorite Taylor Kinney has made a surprise reappearance — not on TV, but through a cozy social media snap that has fans buzzing.
The 42-year-old actor, best known for his smoldering portrayal of Lieutenant Kelly Severide, was seen enjoying a night out with friends and longtime girlfriend Ashley Cruger. The model shared the intimate glimpse on Instagram, showing the couple dining at a rustic restaurant alongside pals — including one particularly photogenic puppy. Kinney, looking relaxed and smiling, posed with his arm around a friend, marking his first public appearance since April.
Back in the spring, Ashley had also posted a sweet Easter tribute featuring the couple in loved-up selfies, one of which captured the pair sharing a kiss. That post became a rare insight into Kinney’s life during what has been a deeply private year.
Earlier in January, it was confirmed that Kinney would be taking a leave of absence from Chicago Fire to address a personal matter. The sudden departure sent shockwaves through the One Chicago fanbase and forced significant rewrites of the procedural’s upcoming storylines. In Kinney’s final episode, Severide left Chicago for a prestigious OFI training program in Alabama — a move that left his wife, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), and his team at Firehouse 51 stunned.
But that wasn’t the full story.
A later episode revealed that Severide had veered off-course, abandoning the training camp to investigate a major arson case — without informing Stella or anyone at 51. It was Joe Cruz who learned the truth after speaking with a camp official, adding yet another layer of mystery to Severide’s storyline.
As for Kinney’s future on Chicago Fire? NBC remains tight-lipped. What is known is that Season 12 will see scaled-back appearances from several core cast members, including Miranda Rae Mayo, Kara Killmer, Hanako Greensmith, and David Eigenberg — all due to budget constraints.
The show’s return has also hit a delay, as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have pushed production timelines. While new One Chicago episodes were absent from NBC’s fall 2023 schedule, insiders anticipate a 2024 premiere.
Chicago P.D.’s LaRoyce Hawkins recently offered a peek behind the curtain, explaining that even after the writers’ strike ends, teams will need several weeks to regroup and reimagine upcoming scripts.
In the meantime, fans will cling to these rare social media moments from Kinney — small but meaningful signs that one of Chicago Fire’s most iconic stars isn’t too far from the action.
