Chicago P.D. Season 11 Officially Confirmed Jay Halstead's Real Name

For 10 seasons, fans followed the adventures of Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) on "Chicago P.D.," and even after his departure, his presence can still be felt on the NBC procedural. That was abundantly clear on the Season 11 premiere — "Unpacking" — when Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) took care of some paperwork to finalize her divorce from Halstead. Joining the Army and being sent off to Bolivia would strain any marriage, and Upton appears ready to move on.

One thing vigilant fans may have spotted on those papers is Halstead's real name. While he's always been known as "Jay," the divorce documents show his name listed as "Jason." In speaking with CinemaBlend about the unexpected reveal, showrunner Gwen Sigan explained, "I think it was just [that] legally it would be his full name. But he is always Jay, yes."

With Halstead leaving the Windy City and his divorce from Upton now final, the show seems to be laying any possibility of the character's return to rest. Even if he does return for a guest spot, it seems like a long shot that anyone will call him "Jason" in person, but it's a neat Easter egg for long-time fans.

Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton may now be divorced, but things are far more amicable between the two "Chicago P.D." actors in real life. It was recently confirmed that stars Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos have been in a relationship for a while. Soffer left the show in Season 10, and Spiridakos will soon follow suit, leaving the show after Season 11. With the divorce papers now filed, it appears the books are closed for good on Upstead, but could Halstead return for some closure?

Jay Halstead had been part of "Chicago P.D." since the very beginning, so, naturally, his departure was tough on fans. While divorce would seem to put a pin on the character wanting to return to Chicago, Soffer has previously stated his thoughts on Halstead coming back. In a different 2023 interview with CinemaBlend, the actor said, "It's nice knowing that he's still so loved in the universe, but it's not up to me whether or not he comes back."

There are plenty of other storylines for writers to delve into besides a Halstead return, including navigating Upton's emotional state post-divorce. Gwen Sigan told Hello! about wanting to explore new sides of her in her final episodes. "We're really going to dig into that this season, and dig into growth and transformation," Sigan elaborated. "How do you get through your life not looking like what you thought it was going to look like, and realizing that there could be more out there that is maybe better for you?" Whatever's next for Upton, she'll have to go through it sans Jason.