'Chicago P.D.' Loses Another Major Actor Ahead of Season 13

Another shake-up is headed to Intelligence—and this one stings. Toya Turner has exited Chicago P.D. and won’t be returning as Officer Kiana Cook when the long-running NBC drama returns for its thirteenth season.

 The reason for her departure hasn’t been made public, but Turner released a short statement confirming her exit: “I’m grateful for the time I had bringing Kiana to life. Thank you to everyone who welcomed me so warmly.”

Turner’s departure is another blow to Chicago P.D., which is still feeling the effects of Tracy Spiridakos’s goodbye in the Season 11 finale and Jesse Lee Soffer’s earlier exit as Jay Halstead. It also comes as sister series Chicago Fire prepares for Season 14 without Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett. Yes, they are indeed dropping like flies.

A strong new presence on the team, Kiana worked closely with Marina Squerciati’s Kim Burgess and was often seen assisting Benjamin Levy Aguilar’s Officer Dante Torres and LaRoyce Hawkins’ Officer Kevin Atwater. Her partnership with Burgess in particular seemed like it was headed for deeper development, with Squerciati even telling Deadline in May: “I really love Toya [Turner], and she’s a fresh voice on the show. I also feel like [Kim is] a bit of a mentor to Cook, and I’d love to see that grow as well.”

Well, she ain't gonna be seeing that growth now. But Kiana’s backstory was just beginning to unfold, with Season 12’s ninth episode, “Friends and Family,” pulling back the curtain on her strained relationship with her wealthy mother (played by Marie-Francoise Theodore). In the episode, Kiana visits her estranged mother’s mansion in a last-ditch effort to secure funds to help with a case. It’s revealed their relationship frayed over class expectations—her mother disapproved of Kiana’s law enforcement career, expecting a more “notable” profession.

Who Will Replace Toya Turner on 'Chicago P.D.'?

While her exit may be sudden, NBC isn’t wasting time filling the void. According to Deadline, the series is now casting a new female series regular: an ATF Task Force officer with a military background, described as a “loose cannon.” Whether she’ll clash with or complement the already fiery Intelligence team remains to be seen.

Before joining Chicago P.D., Turner had already made appearances across the One Chicago universe, playing different characters on both Chicago Fire and Chicago Med. She’s perhaps best known for her leading role on Netflix’s Warrior Nun, and her other TV credits include New Amsterdam, Easy, The Mick, and Empire. On the film side, she appeared in the Tribeca-selected indie Dead Women Walking, and her stage work includes A Raisin in the Sun and Blues for an Alabama Sky.

Tune in to NBC this fall for the new season of Chicago P.D. and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.