EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Kinney, a fan favorite who plays Kelly Severide on Chicago Fire, is taking a break from the NBC drama.

Kinney has starred as the firefighter on the Dick Wolf procedural since its launch in 2012. A source close to the production confirmed to Deadline that Kinney is taking a leave of absence to deal with a personal matter.

Cast and crew were apparently informed of Kinney’s leave earlier Friday. It is likely that future scripts will have to be rewritten to accommodate his absence.

A spokesman for the show would not comment. Kinney has been nominated three times for a People’s Choice Award for his work on the series. He won in 2015.

Kinney’s Kelly Severide is a member of Rescue Squad 3. He was long known as a ladies man on the drama (surprised?) but has recently been in a more stable relationship with Stella Kidd, played by Miranda Rae Mayo. They tied the knot at the end of Season 10.

Jesse Spencer, who exited the series in 2021 after a decade on the firefighter drama, returned to stand alongside Kinney for the Season 10 finale, titled “The Magnificent City of Chicago,” that aired last May.