Sophia Bush has courageously spoken out, accusing a television show's set of perpetuating a culture of abuse, asserting that she endured "every conceivable form of mistreatment" during her tenure on the program. During an episode of Monica Lewinsky's poignant podcast "Reclaiming," released on Tuesday, Bush shared her harrowing ordeal, although she refrained from disclosing the show's name. However, circumstantial evidence strongly hints at her time on the highly popular NBC procedural "Chicago P.D.," where she portrayed Detective Erin Lindsay with immense talent. After appearing in 84 episodes, Bush departed from the series, previously describing her experience there as mentally and physically exhausting.
"I was standing on the precipice of greatness, following my successful run on 'One Tree Hill,' eagerly anticipating my next venture," Bush recounted. "I embarked on a comedy project I adored for CBS, and then joined another show that was a lifelong dream—only to be met with an entirely different kind of trauma."
The actress alleged that she faced "not just professional misconduct, but every imaginable type of abuse" on set. She painted a picture of her ordeal as a "living nightmare," detailing spontaneous illnesses, outbreaks of hives, erratic weight changes, hair loss, insomnia, and debilitating anxiety. "I was perpetually braced for battle when heading to work," she confessed. "I even resorted to learning how to physically shield myself from unwanted touches during scenes."
Bush exited the series in April 2017, narrowly preceding the surge of the #MeToo movement. Later, in October of that year, she received a heartfelt apology over the phone from a senior executive. "I received a call from an executive who expressed profound regret for their actions and inactions," she revealed. "They acknowledged, 'We realize now how narrowly we escaped unscathed from this situation.'"
Furthermore, Bush disclosed that she was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after leaving the show. "I've been deeply immersed in therapy," she admitted. "I'm relieved that you all didn't have to endure the media scrutiny, that's truly fortunate."
On the professional front, Bush has returned to the small screen with a recurring role on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," her resilience shining through despite the adversity she's faced.