Eagle-eyed viewers of Chicago PD were quick to notice that Detective Kim Burgess was missing from two episodes of the latest season of the police drama – and the character's actress Marina Squerciati today revealed the reason behind her absence.
Taking to Instagram, the 40-year-old actress shared that earlier this year she welcomed a baby, explaining why she wasn't in the first episodes of the hit show.
Alongside photos of herself baring her baby bump, Marina wrote: "2024 was a BIG year for me, literally. I thought I handled being a pregnant working mom with grace—swipe to see my daughter's very different take.
"PS. THIS was the real reason I wasn't in the first two episodes of #ChicagoPD. Have a great NYE, friends!"
Alongside the bump photo, Marina shared a picture her daughter had drawn of her while pregnant, with the actress looking frazzled and angry.
Marina's firstborn arrived in 2017 and is shared with her husband, Eli Kay-Oliphant. At around seven years old, we hope her daughter is happy with her new sibling!
Marina Squerciati's secret pregnancy
The actress went to great lengths to keep her pregnancy under wraps, with no posts on her social media showing signs of a baby bump.
Marina didn't share when she welcomed her second child, but given that her bump picture shows her posing happily outdoors in a bikini and summer hat in Miami, we're inclined to say she gave birth in the sunny months.
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On top of that, the star walked the red carpet in January with no sign of a baby bump, further hinting to a summer arrival of her little one.
Marina Squerciati's postnatal routine
When she gave birth the first time, Marina took several months off work, but shared she took longer to return to her fitness routine, telling Chicago Parent of her post-natal fitness:
"Because I was fit beforehand, I thought I would just bounce back. I remember [asking] my doctor, "When can I get back in the gym?" He said six weeks [but]I don't think I went back to the gym until eight months, and I'm only now at nine months feeling like my body's mine again.
"We sort of play down how hard [giving birth] is on the body and how much you need to recoup.
"We're such a busy, do-it-all culture that if you can, take the time to sort of be still and heal. Not even just physically, but emotionally.
"You don’t have to start being yourself four weeks later. A mom friend of mine encouraged me to go sit in a sauna for 30 minutes, just to have a few minutes, and I was a better mom that day. I worked hard and I needed a few minutes to decompress and I took that."
We hope Marina takes her own advice and takes it easy with baby number two, too.
