Upstead is real! Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos, who starred on Chicago P.D. as Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton, have reportedly been dating for years. Keep reading for all the details on their relationship.
Chicago P.D. is NBC’s drama series following the personal and professional lives of patrol officers and detectives at the Intelligence Unit of Chicago Police Department’s fictional 21st District. The show was created by Dick Wolf and is a part of the One Chicago franchise, which includes the flagship series Chicago Fire, as well as Chicago Med and the now-canceled Chicago Justice. Soffer starred on the show from seasons 1-10 as Senior Detective Jay Halstead, a former Army Ranger who works as a detective in the Intelligence Unit. His character is also the older brother of Chicago Med‘s Dr. Will Halstead, a former attending physician at the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Meanwhile, Spiridakos joined the show in Season 4 as Detective Hailey Upton, a former robbery-homicide detective.
Soffer and Spiridakos’ characters were partners and eventually fell in love. They went on to get married in Season 9, but their relationship abruptly ended in Season 10 when Halstead took a job with the United States Army to take down the cartel in Bolivia. The breakup was spawned by Soffer’s exit from the series after 10 seasons of playing Halstead. He announced his departure in August 2022 and his final episode, Season 10’s “A Good Man,” aired that October. Spiridakos will be following suit, as the upcoming Season 11 will be her last, according to October 2023 reports.
While fans are hoping for one last Upstead reunion in the new season, they can find some comfort in knowing that Soffer and Spiridakos are together in real life. Below, find all the details on their relationship.
When did Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos start dating from Chicago P.D.?
When did Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos start dating? According to a report from the New York Post, the actors have been secretly dating for several years. Although the outlet did not confirm when exactly Soffer and Spiridakos’ relationship turned romantic, the two have always been close and have shared several pictures together on social media. Following Soffer’s exit from Chicago P.D., Spiridakos dedicated a heartfelt Instagram tribute to her co-star and secret boyfriend. “I guess the word is out…Jesse, what can I say, you’re the absolute best. Thank you for your kindness, your guidance and your friendship,” she captioned a selfie of her and Soffer. “You’re the greatest onscreen husband a girl could ask for. I’ll miss being on set with you every day. I can’t wait to see what the world has in store for you next. #upsteadforever.”
The pair continued to post photos of each other after Soffer’s departure, with the Jay Halstead portrayer even wishing Spiridakos a happy birthday in February 2023. Soffer captioned a slideshow of pictures of him and the actress: “A huge happy birthday to this lady! Isn’t she the best?! 😎.”
In August 2023, the former co-stars were on the picket lines together for the WGA writers and SAG-AFTRA strikes. They shared photos of themselves holding signs alongside former One Chicago showrunner Derek Haas. “Team, assemble!!” Soffer captioned his post.
While news of their relationship comes as a huge shock, several fans had an inkling that there was something more going on off-screen. “Of course we could tell there were hints of it,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another wrote, “Not surprised but I’ll wait for one of them to report it themselves.”
This is also not the first time Soffer has dated one of his Chicago P.D. co-stars. The actor previously dated Sophia Bush, who starred on the show as Detective Erin Lindsay for seasons 1-4. After several years of dating, the pair broke up in 2016.
For more on Chicago P.D., check out this gallery on the Chicago P.D. cast members’ real-life partners.
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