Jenna Dewan Addresses Rookie Season 7 Absence, Teases Return


Jenna Duane Responds to Rookie Absence - When Will 859 Return

Jenna Duane. Disney/Giselle Hernandez

Jenna Duane finally addressed his absence from The rookie.

Dewan, 44, took to Instagram ahead of the latest episode on Tuesday, January 21 to share a photo of herself with 7-month-old daughter Rhiannon, along with an article that mentioned her maternity leave.

“Someone was being born,” she wrote of the early months The rookie season 7 has gone into production. “But keep watching…”

The Rookie, which premiered in 2018, follows police officers from a Los Angeles precinct. During Dewan’s absence, her character, Bailey Nune, was deployed overseas with the National Guard. Showrunner Alexi Hawley previously confirmed that Bailey returns at the end from episode 3.

“Jenna is about to have a baby in real life, so we have to navigate that at the beginning of (Season 7),” Hawley said TV Insider in May 2024 “So I think we’re going to have to slow down a little bit (on) that, but yeah, look, especially in the adoption story, they really live a dangerous life. She will have an ex-husband kill a stalker there. It will be interesting to explore how this affects them on a personal level.

Jenna Dewan responds to the Rookie's absence - when will 858 return
Disney/Sir Baffo

Bailey’s ex-husband Jason — played by Dewan’s real-life fiance, Rhiannon’s father Steve Kazee — appeared in the Season 6 finale as Bailey and Nolan (Nathan Fillion) started talking about adopting a baby. According to Hawley, Jason will be “the most immediate problem” for the main characters.

“I think clearly Jason is the one with the most specific, most damaging intentions towards anybody on our show right now,” he added.

Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee – Timeline of their relationship


Related: Jenna Dewan and Fiancé Steve Kazee’s Relationship Timeline

Jenna Dewan’s romance with fiancé Steve Kazee hasn’t followed the traditional timeline — but they’re more in love than ever. Us Weekly confirmed the couple’s relationship in October 2018, six months after Dewan and estranged husband Channing Tatum announced their split. The exes were married for nine years and share a daughter, Everly. After almost one (…)

Fillion meanwhile hinted that Nolan and Bailey will be “solid” when she comes back.

“There will be complications, there will be things that are problematic in their relationship, as there are in all relationships,” he told TV Insider at the time. “I think that’s the reality. But it’s something that I don’t think drives a wedge between them. I think that’s something that brings them together.”

Jenna Dewan responds to the rookie's absence - when will the 857 return
Jason Laveris/FilmMagic

As well as Rhiannon, Dewan and Kazee, 49, have a son together, Callum, who was born in 2020. The actress also shares daughter Everly, 11. with an ex-husband Channing Tatum.

A complete timeline of Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan's messy divorce


Related: A complete timeline of Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s messy divorce

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan settled their divorce for six years before settling down in September 2024. Tatum and Dewan met on the set of 2006’s Step Up, where they played lovers. The couple soon found love off-screen, eventually tying the knot in 2009. The actors went on to welcome daughter Everly in May 2013, (…)

“It’s always a journey. It never ends,” Dewan said Overalls in January 2024 about how she and Tatum, 44, have approached co-parenting. “You just learn over time and you get better at certain things, and for me, Evie will always be my top priority. I just keep putting her first. That way I can handle all the hard stuff.”

After getting engaged to Kazee in 2020, Dewan explained why they haven’t walked down the aisle yet, telling us in June 2023, “My family is like, ‘When guys, when?’We’ll get there. I promise we’re getting there. At least we have the location, so we’re (one) step ahead. But it was just so busy, to be honest. Life was so busy and work was busy.’

The rookie airs on ABC Tuesdays at 10pm ET.