Kelly Severide (born January 29, 1981) is a fire lieutenant for the second shift of Rescue Squad 3. Severide was previously known as a "ladies man", but has recently become more than that, with his character development and stable relationship. He is portrayed by Taylor Kinney.
Severide has many ex-girlfriends and flings; however, the only relationships that seem to last are friendships, like those with his best friend Leslie Shay, his half-siblings Katie Nolan and fellow firefighter Jack Damon. He is also close friends with Matt Casey. Recently, however, he has maintained a steady and healthy relationship with Stella Kidd.
Quick Answers
Who are Kelly Severide's half-siblings in 'Chicago Fire'?
What is the nature of Kelly Severide's relationship with Leslie Shay?
Does Kelly Severide have a stable romantic relationship in 'Chicago Fire'?
Who portrays the character of Kelly Severide in 'Chicago Fire'?
What is Kelly Severide's role in Rescue Squad 3?
Biography
Kelly's father, Benny Severide, was a member of Rescue Squad 4, alongside Wallace Boden and Henry Mills. When he was ten, his father walked out on the family, leaving Kelly with abandonment issues. Kelly is dedicated to his position in Rescue Squad 3 and is proud to be there, happy that he did not need the help of his father to get where he is today.
Season 1
Severide and Casey are still dealing with the death of fellow firefighter and mutual friend, Andy, and there's tension between Truck 81 and Squad 3 regarding the situation - Severide blames Casey for letting Andy go into the building while Casey blames Severide for not warning them about the vents which caused the explosion.
During this time, Severide is suffering from an injury sustained in the fatal fire. He makes an appointment, where the doctor tells him that they will need to operate and he won't be able to work for a year. He ignores the instructions, the doctor warning him the pain and injury will worsen, but he refuses to have surgery. Leslie Shay, his best friend and roommate, helps him when he asks for stronger painkillers by taking them from the ambulance. Eventually, the pain worsens and he asks for more, but she tells him to stop being stubborn and get the surgery. He turns to an old girlfriend instead, who gets him much stronger and illegal medication. He keeps taking them until a drug test is ordered on all the firefighters after a case they work on. He tries to delay the test but is unable to do so. Shay eventually helps him out by providing a false sample for testing. She gets very frustrated at him and moves out of their apartment. After she's in an accident, he asks her to come back, but she refuses as he's still taking the medication. He eventually turns to Dawson for help and books an appointment with the doctor and Shay moves back in. Even though the injury is exaggerated in the beginning, he's released quickly and is back on Squad in no time.
Severide reconnects with his father, Benny Severide, who comes to visit Firehouse 51 as he served there with Henry Mills and Chief Boden. Tensions arise between the senior Severide and Boden regarding the death of Henry Mills. Boden tells Severide to tell his father not to come back, but he does so anyway. A fight breaks out between Benny and Peter Mills when Benny tells Peter that his father's death was his own fault. He also tells Severide to not trust Mills. This reversely encourages Severide to trust Mills even more and even go as far as to visit Mills at home after his and Benny's fight and move him over to Squad 3. He tells him which courses to go to - Chief Boden supports his decision to make Mills the youngest transfer to Squad, but this doesn't sit well with Casey, who feels he isn't ready.
Season 2
Severide is targeted by an arsonist twice before realizing that the arsonist is targeting firefighters. He makes the connection that the arsonist is also a firefighter, most likely Kevin Hadley. When he goes to see Hadley, he hints that he's the arsonist, but they have no proof. They eventually catch him in the act and he's arrested.
While meeting with his father, Severide spots Benny hugging a young lady believing the latter is cheating on his wife with her. Kelly then meets with Benny who tells him that he will succeed Boden as the new chief of fire house 51. This news leaves and shocked and angry with his father for trying to do that despite his close friendship with his chief. (A Power Move)
He was going for a run when his stepmother Beth for peers and discusses his father who has not been home in months, despite previously telling Kelly that he still was. He promises to speak with Benny for her on behalf of his half-brothers. While going on his jog, Severide comes across a secluded and empty construction site and encounters a young boy Nathan who has been trapped in a backhoe loader and is in dire need of assistance. After he notices the boy is wounded, he does his best to ensure that no more blood is lost while struggling to find a way to save him. The pair are trapped for the rest of the night, passing the time to talk. Kelly still learns that Nathan did this because his father who abandoned him was previously a construction worker and he wanted to learn how to do this on his own with him being able to relate because of his own father issues. Kelly is able to get free is able to cause the loader to flip back. Meanwhile, Shay who was looking for Kelly spots this and quickly arrives to his location. Severide stumbles out with Nathan in his arms, and the three race to the hospital. Shay and Severide sit wearily in the waiting room, rewarded by a chipper Nathan and his grateful mother. The long run and grueling night were worth every moment to Severide. (Joyriding)
He later confronts the young lady about her supposed affair with Benny until she reveals that Benny is her father, making her his half-sister, Katie Nolan. Very soon, Severide confronts his father and lashes out at him for everything. At the end, Benny acknowledges that Severide is right about him and apologizes for not being there for him. He also decides not to take the position of chief from Boden because of their friendship. Benny decides to go back to his wife and other sons but not before telling Kelly to get to know his sister. Soon Kelly goes to find Katie and formally meets his sister for the first time. (No Regrets)
He continues to talk with Katie about their relationship and both discuss their perspectives on their father. Severide tries to connect with her, but she initially refuses, not wanting to be left hanging again like Benny did to her and hoping he gets that. He understands and starts to leave however, he stops and tells her that he is nothing like their father. (Rhymes with Shout)
Severide was happy to see Katie ultimately changed her perspective and comes to visit 51, bringing them dishes since she's learning to be a chef. During her visit to firehouse 51, Severide answered questions about his newly revealed sister to Mouch. He later noticed Otis flirting with her and starts watching out for her by giving Otis a “death stare”, something Katie laughs at but appreciates. Severide is also the only member of her family who attends her graduation to be a professional chef since her mother doesn't have time. After the graduation, he throws a graduation party for her by having his friends and coworkers attend. He shared a hug with his grateful sister. (You Will Hurt Him)
Kelly continues to bond with Katie by having her over for dinner. He nearly walks in on her and Otis, after they kiss while playing the game Catan. Otis later asks for Kelly's blessing to ask his sister out, after being really uncomfortable sneaking around behind his back, which he gives. (Shoved in My Face, Out With a Bang)
While at the firehouse, Kelly is approached by Katie on something. Katie has been offered a job opportunity in New York and it was a permanent situation. However she was unsure if she really wanted that because of their growing bond and her current relationship with Otis. During a blackout, he gets into altercation with a man named Vince Keeler. However, Katie is kidnapped by two men working with Keeler. (Tonight's the Night)
His missing sister causes him to become determined to find her. He encounters one of the thugs and threatened him with a bat until he gives up Keeler. He found his sister in an abandoned building. He finds that she was attacked badly and he brings her to the hospital. Kelly wants to be there for his sister but is told to leave but not before telling her that he loves her. Kelly also gets into an argument with Mrs. Nolan who tells them it was his fault that Katie was hurt and he argues with her. He later apologized for this and she does the same to him. He is allowed to go to Katie and she tells Severide that even though she loves him, she's accepting a job offer in another state and moves away. Before they part, brother and sister share one last hug.
Much later, Benny comes to Chicago to discuss the situation with Katie but is told his daughter already moved to get away from the drama. Benny tried to persist in talking to his son about the issue but Kelly told him if he cared so much then he would’ve stuck around. Kelly is angry when Lindsay reports to him that Vince Keeler, has been released. He gathered his comrades from squad three to help in going after Keeler something oldest wanted to take part in but Lindsay later tells him the Keeler went missing. (Keep Your Mouth Shut)
Kelly is called for the disappearance of Keeler. Voight takes to interrogating Kelly but he has nothing to give them. Kelly also has comrades keep quiet about his intended plans of revenge. That night, he dinner with his father and Shay, with Benny cooking up a fish that he caught in the lake. They discuss the case with the missing mobster Vince Keeler and he is told that the police are looking into firefighters. During this talk, Kelly is suspicious when Benny subtly implies that he had a role in the case something Kelly quietly picks up on. It is later confirmed Benny had been responsible for the murder of Vince Keller, when he arrived at 21st police district to speak to Hank Voight. Trudy Platt tells him that Voight was not around so he leaves his number. At a bar, he seems to confess to his involvement while preparing to turn himself in for his crimes. However, Voight understood his grief (being a father himself) and let him flee to Kenosha. (A Rocket Blasting Off)
Shay also has a hard time after one of her patients commits suicide right in front of her. In an argument, Dawson blames her so she leaves 51 and Severide watches her spiral into a time of darkness and bad decisions. She starts going out with a girl who later robs their apartment, including Otis who has moved in with them. This angers Severide as he warned her about the girl. This, combined with the stress from the case, drives her into depression and she contemplates suicide, but Dawson finds her in time after Severide asks Dawson to look for her. They apologize to each other and Shay comes back to 51 and is happy again. However, the girl comes back to 51 and apologizes to Shay and Severide. She doesn't have a lot of their stuff anymore and Severide gets angry at Shay again for not calling the police. The girl lures Shay back in with a story about trying to help her troubled dad who needed the money. This is until Severide snaps when he finds her in their apartment and kicks her out. (One More Shot)
Their happiness is short lived. While attending a call at a building fire, Shay and Dawson rush in to help a victim. The building suddenly explodes and Shay suffers a severe head injury. Severide desperately tries to revive her. (Real Never Waits)
Season 3
It's revealed that attempts to revive Shay have failed and she has died. Severide goes AWOL for over a month until Chief Boden tells Casey it's time to go look for him and bring him back. Casey visits him, but Severide tells him he's going to start a business by the coast and won't go back to being a firefighter or back to firehouse 51. Casey understands his decision, but shows him a book that Boden keeps, listing all the lives they saved. This encourages Severide to return. However, when he sees Sylvie Brett for the first time, he mistakes her for Shay until he sees her face. However, the resemblance between the 2 prompts him to get close to her, using her as an excuse to get past Shay.
Severide isn't himself and goes out drinking every night, leaving everyone worried about him. This is until he goes to Vegas for a weekend and meets Brittany Baker, a graphic artist from Florida. Severide returns from Vegas, smiling and happy, and informs that house that he got married in Vegas. They think he is kidding at first, but soon realize he is serious. Severide and Brittany were both recovering from tragic losses (Brittany was driving the car that crashed and her sister died in the accident), and their impetuous marriage and connection proves a soft place for them each to recover. However, Severide eventually realizes that Brittany is still hiding from her pain. He hid from his pain by drinking, and came out of it when he met Brittany, but she is hiding from her pain by being with him and avoiding her parents. They have a tearful and tender goodbye as Brittany returns home to Florida to deal with her grief and her family.
During a call, Severide and Dawson find information on Shay's death at the old building. They start to investigate further and find that it was actually arson. The arsonist is caught after a long run and is killed. He and the rest of 51 have a memorial service for her at Molly's.
Severide's close and old friend Scott Rice is transferred to Squad 3. This raises tensions between him and Mills, who also wants his old spot back as he's waiting for his medical clearance, but Rice gets there first. Scott tells Kelly that their old high school friend (April Sexton) is in town working at Chicago Med. In Forgiving, Relentless, Unconditional, Kelly explains why he passed some time at April's house during his junior year: his father, Benny Severide, cheated on his mom with a school teacher (from Kelly and April's school) in their own house. Mills is eventually transferred to Squad 3 again, but only stays a shift before deciding to leave to be with his family in North Carolina. Rice remains on Squad 3 until Otis starts to accuse him of being a 'ducker' and avoiding tough calls. He initially claims there was a malfunction with his oxygen mask, which Otis and Cruz disprove. This causes great tension between Truck 81 and Squad 3, going as far as Severide nearly hitting Otis at Molly's while defending Rice. However, the accusations prompt Severide to check the mask and he finds out Otis was telling the truth. Scott is dismissed from firehouse 51.
Season 4
At the start of the season, Deputy District Chief Ray Riddle arrives at Firehouse 51 with some concerning news for Severide: the high turnover rate of firefighters at Squad 3 has raised some concerns over his leadership. Severide attempts to argue that each former firefighter had valid reasons for resignation or dismissal but he is overruled and demoted from his rank of Lieutenant and replaced by Captain Dallas Patterson, who asks him to remain with the company. Chief Boden does everything he can to get his position back and tells him to go to a meeting where his leadership skills can be improved.
Captain Patterson's leadership does not sit well with Severide as he has a hard time accepting that he's no longer an officer. He even gets suspended for a shift for threatening to hit Patterson when he tries to talk to him after shift, believing that Patterson is trying to replace/get them all fired. Patterson doesn't understand this accusation when he is asked as he is only trying to do his job, but the fact that he is slightly unfriendly makes them all wary of him. Benny gives Severide a file on him to ultimately blackmail Patterson and Severide decides to hand the file to him. Patterson doesn't understand why he would give it to him, but he helps to calm Riddle down after Boden charges at him with accusations, which Severide is surprised to see.
In Short and Fat, Severide is re-instated as Lieutenant by Boden after Patterson's promotion to Battalion Chief.
Severide initially blames Cruz for Herrmann getting stabbed by Freddy for bringing him to the firehouse in the first place and pressures him in to finding Freddy when he runs away. This is until Chief Boden tells him to back off and he goes to look for Cruz when he then tries to find Freddy at their hideout, telling him to not risk his life unless he wants to be the one in the hospital.
Kelly also develops a brief attachment to Detective Bianca Holloway at CPD when he tries to tell her that a missing body they find is a young girl who disappeared from his neighborhood a few years ago. She is initially irritated at his efforts in trying to identify the girl and tells him to back off. However, Severide turns out to be correct and later on, she asks him for a favor - to look after her son JJ while she prepares for a court hearing on a dangerous gang she had been investigating for years. He agrees, but doesn't know about this until Antonio tells him about it. She tells Kelly she's worried for her son's safety and wants Kelly to look after him. He tells her she can drop him off anytime.
On the day of the hearing, she drops JJ off with Kelly for a few hours. However, CPD is soon at the firehouse and inform Severide that Detective Holloway was shot outside the court. He is upset to hear this, but insists that JJ stay with him until his aunt, who has requested that JJ not be told, has flown in from California. The officers agree and tell him to remain at the firehouse. The firehouse help JJ with a school project, trying to divert his attention from his mother, who he keeps asking to call. They let him film them for his 'Day In The Life of a Firefighter' documentary and he tells them that now he just has to film his mom. A few hours later, Detective Crowley from CPD is back to tell him that Holloway died during surgery. He still insists that JJ stays with him until Mary (Bianca's sister) is here and doesn't let the other officer take him. Mary arrives later that night, and clearly upset and crying, asks Kelly to help her break the news to JJ. They take him to the briefing room next door and tell him with the whole firehouse watching from the window in the common room. He breaks down and Mary takes him away. Just before he leaves, Severide gives Pouch, their dog who has also grown close to JJ, to JJ as he cries in the car. He tells him he can visit or call anytime.
Season 5
Most significantly, all of firehouse 51 collectively disagree and are against Jimmy's angry attitude about a decision Chief Boden made at a fire that Jimmy believes killed his brother. After filing a report against Chief Boden and consequently being transferred back to Truck, Severide and Casey are especially irritated by his actions. This causes them to practically ignore him during their next call and he takes the rash decision to go in despite orders and is severely burned in an explosion.
Severide next has a disagreement about whether a man started a fire in their apartment to kill his wife or not. Severide says he didn't start the fire because of the way the husband kicked him off to go in the burning building to save his wife. Casey disagrees, as he is the one who held the wife's hand seconds before she died and also found evidence of arson. Severide tries to prove the husband's innocence but is proven wrong in the end, after the husband admits to starting the fire but didn't know that his wife was inside at the time.
Severide later has trouble with his relationships and starts thinking about his life. He is then injured in an accident and doesn't get it checked out until Chief Boden forces him. He meets Chicago Med's Dr. Jeff Clarke - a past friend of his, who asks him to take a quick blood sample and enroll on the bone marrow registry. He brushes it off for later and leaves. Clarke comes to see him the next day and says that the reason for his asking was a cancer patient of his, Anna Turner, who is dying. He thinks Severide could be a match because of something he told him earlier. Severide again brushes him off and finds it strange. However, he goes to see Clarke after Gabby and Casey get married. Clarke shows him the woman and Severide instantly agrees. Clarke tells him he'll feel the pain for months, to which he replies, "good". (One Hundred)
Anna starts chemotherapy, to get ready for the bone marrow transplantation. However, Severide jumps from window on a call which disables him from getting epidural (anesthetic) during the donation and therefore cancels the whole procedure. Severide feels very guilty, as he was Anna's only chance in survival and now, she has no donor or immunity (due to the chemo). When he discovers the only thing stopping the procedure is the lack of anesthetic, he decides to undergo the terrible pain and save Anna, with whom he developed a close bond. Anna is recovering well, so she decides to return to her home in Springfield. The only thing she leaves behind (apart from saddened Severide, who didn't get a proper goodbye) is not saying "Someday". (The People We Meet)
Severide is approached by a fire chief from Springfield urging him to replace him on his position. Kelly seriously considers this, as he would love to start a relationship with Anna in Springfield. (An Agent of the Machine, Trading in Scuttlebutt, Purgatory) His hesitation is ended by Anna, who turns up in Chicago. Kelly finds her an open spot in Chicago Med (she works as a nurse). They're happily dating and Severide even succeeds in making Anna feel like home. (Deathtrap, Telling Her Goodbye, Babies and Fools) Unfortunately, their happiness is short-lived, because Anna's cancer returns. Kelly supports her in every way, but she dies anyways. Severide has a really hard time coping with her death, but eventually somehow, manages to move on. (Take a Knee, Carry Their Legacy, Carry Me)
Season 6
Stella Kidd moves in with Kelly. She tries to be cool with the idea of him dating, but she's still jealous when he sleeps with Brett's friend Hope Jacquinot.
At times, Severide clashes with Casey, disagreeing with some of his command choices.
Casey and Severide respond to a hazmat situation and turn a wheel to stop the flow of chlorine gas. But as soon as they let go, more gas will escape, causing an explosion. Casey decides they should jump from the roof into the river below. In The F is For, Severide floats unconscious in the river and Kidd rescues him, hanging from a ladder over the river to pull him out.
Kidd and Severide become very close, going out for milkshakes and spending lots of time together.
In The Chance to Forgive, Severide disobeys a direct order and runs into a burning building to get Kidd and Otis, despite bullets flying. There, he helps Kidd save Otis, who has been shot in the neck. Later, he runs into Kidd and Molly's and makes out with her.
in Put White On Me, Severide's mom, Jennifer Sheridan, shows up, declaring she'll stay with him for a few weeks. She reveals that his first name is Kelly after her father, John Kelly Severide. She meets her ex-husband, Benny Severide, for coffee and spontaneously decides to get back together with him.
In When They See Us Coming, Severide confronts his father, Benny. He tells Benny that he'll ruin the relationship and break his mom's heart just like before. So Benny breaks up with Jennifer. She tells Kelly what happened and knows it was his idea because he wanted to protect her. She tells Kidd that she and Benny did a number on their son.
In The Unrivaled Standards, Severide tells Kidd that he misses her, so she suggests he ask her out on a date, which he does. Then his ex Renee Royce appears, asking him for his fire expertise with a legal case she's working on.
In One for the Ages, Severide introduces Kidd to Renee as his girlfriend, delighting Kidd. Severide meets Renee's son, Nicholas, who likes him, and Renee apologizes for her actions when she and Severide were together. Grissom is angry with Severide for pushing for Boden to get the commissioner job, even threatening retaliation. Severide ends up in a tight spot when Commissioner Staton asks Severide who he'd recommend for the job. Severide tries to dodge the question, before telling the truth that he'd pick Boden. Later, Renee tearfully shows up at Molly's, telling Severide that Nicholas is missing.
In The Grand Gesture, Renee gets a phone call, learning that Nicholas' babysitter took him home and they both fell asleep. Nicholas is safe. Then Severide testifies as an expert witness in her case, helping spur the defense to settle. Grateful, Renee kisses him. But he tells her that now that the case has been won, there's no reason to see each other again. He goes to Kidd's apartment, where they talk and cuddle.
Season 7
In Going to War, Stella is severely injured when she runs out of oxygen trying to help Severide, having failed to tell Hermann when her levels dropped. Severide lashes out at Hermann for not looking out for her, but Hermann tells him that she was trying to save him, which is why she didn’t say anything. Connor Rhodes and Ethan Choi inform Severide they will have to remove part of Stella’s lung to save her. Severide disagrees, saying that being a firefighter is important to Stella and she wouldn’t want that - he is told that since he isn’t family, he cannot veto the decision. April then arranges for the rest of the firehouse to ask Connor to reconsider on Stella’s behalf, as they were her “family”. Ethan isn’t happy and accuses April of doing it for Severide, and not Stella.
He helped Jay Halstead, Kim Burgess, Adam Ruzek, and Hailey Upton to find Daniel Mendoza who set the apartment fire.
In All The Proof, Severide answers his cell phone, and distressed, reveals to Casey that his father has suffered a stroke. Upon Kelly's arrival, he is told by Chicago Med's Ava Bekker that Benny has died. This revelation causes him to become upset at Stella since she was his girlfriend, and he felt he could vent to her due to this relationship. Stella tries to help Kelly through his loss, however he becomes increasingly agitated to the point where Stella breaks up with him (Inside These Walls).
After not seeing Severide for a few days, she grows concerned and suspects he is in Benny's old cabin in the woods. When she goes to the cabin, Kelly answers the door and he tells her that she was right to break up with him because she deserves a better man, then he vows to be that better man and they make up. (I'm Not Leaving You)
Kelly paid his respects by giving a speech to Benny at his funeral and proudly placed his medal on the coffin.
Season 8
In Infection, Kelly and Casey found out that the John Doe from the Tailgate at the Soldier Field was Stuart Anderson that Jay Halstead figure out. he saw that Stella Kidd, his girlfriend was so worried about the infection spread across everyone. He teamed up in infection pt. 3 with Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton.
In Hold Our Ground, Kelly is trapped in a burning building with an arsonist after a fight. He saves the man when he is trapped underneath debris and escapes the fire after backup arrives. When the man asks him why he saved his life, Kelly responds that it is his job as a firefighter before he watches as the man is arrested.
During 51's Original Bell, Kelly and Casey notice Harold Capp polishing the original firehouse bell before they are called to a fire. During the call at an impound lot filled with toxic gas, Kelly watches as Capp is hit with a large wave of gas. Severide and Casey later learn that he has skipped treatment and gone missing, Will Halstead setting a deadline for them to find him. The two find Capp at his home, still suffering from the effects of the gas but after talking with him, they convince him to go back. Capp emerges from the room with glasses, telling them that he can no longer be a firefighter with his poor eyesight. However, Severide sees through this and states he is okay, with Capp revealing his ruse. Capp reveals that he will be fine in time and teases an amused Severide for being worried about him. The pair take Capp to Molly's, where he is welcomed back. Hermann even offers free beers to celebrate Capp's return, to the latter's joy.
Season 9
In Rattle Second City, the squad answer a call. Severide is nearly caught in the fire but it saved when Stella comes to his aid. At the house, Stella informs Kelly that Boden recommended that she take the lieutenant exam he supports her decision if she goes through with it. Stella also points out to Kelly that maybe something is going on with Casey and Brett, after the latter stays late at her home because of a stalker something that he takes note of.
In That Kind of Heat, after Brett and Mackey are saved from a crash caused by a stalker, Severide tasks Ritter and Gallo with finding the crashed ambulance. After Gallo locates it, Severide tries to reclaim pieces of it but is ignored by the scrapyard workers. With no alternative, he sneaks into the yard and grabs one of the old doors bringing it back to the house. He makes commentates the door by honoring the name of Leslie Shay.
During Smash Therapy, Kelly is approached by Casey to talk while smoking cigars. It was here that Kelly learned about Casey and Brett nearly hooking up being amused by this.
Season 10
In The Magnificent City of Chicago, he and Stella was getting ready for their big wedding day. Brett, came back a little bit early to help out for Stella. Casey came back to be his best man in the city.
Season 11
Severide and Kidd are now married and a new opportunity from Van Meter in the OFI program came to Kelly which involved an arson investigation and some rigorous training. He delayed his return despite his investigation being done, prompting Stella to leave Chicago to bring her husband back.
Season 12
Kelly is back at Firehouse 51 after Stella's efforts to bring him home. In Never Say Goodbye, he learned that rookie firefighter Jack Damon, who was brought on 51, is his younger half-brother on Benny's side.
Abilities
- Skilled Fighter: Severide is a skilled fighter as he is able to take down several gangsters and armed opponents. He has a more nimble style of fighting as opposed to Casey who relies mostly on brute force to win in fist-fights.
Relationships
Family
Benny Severide
Benny is Kelly's father. The pair have a strained relationship because of Benny leaving him and his mother when he was a kid.
As an adult, Kelly still resents his father, but they gradually reach neutral terms. Kelly is also upset to learn that Benny had other children that he never told him about and lashed out at him for continuing his cycle of abandonment. Very soon, Benny meets him and acknowledges he was right about him while apologizing for his actions.
Kelly also realized that his father had something to do in the role of a missing gangster Vince Keeler who was responsible for kidnapping and abusing his sister Katie. However, Kelly likely did not confront his father on this because his father had done something right for their family.
Despite all his years of resentment towards Benny, Kelly ultimately showed that he did in fact love his father and was devastated by his death. Kelly paid his respects by giving a speech about Benny at his funeral.
Jennifer Sheridan
Jennifer is Kelly's mother.
From his childhood, he had a good relationship with his mother who was his primary parent after his father left. During a confrontation with his father, Kelly lashed out at his father for leaving him and his mother to struggle.
When she briefly got together with Kelly's dad, he worried that his dad would break his mom's heart again. He encouraged his dad to call it off, which he did.
She later congratulated her son on his wedding, something he appreciated after hearing that she failed to come over.
Katie Nolan
Katie is Kelly's half-sister.
Initially, Kelly mistook Katie for his father's mistress when he first saw them together until Katie reveals that she is his daughter. He is shocked to hear this, but is pushed by his father into meeting her and he awkwardly tells Katie that he is her older brother. At first, when the two talk, Katie thinks Kelly is a no show like their father, but he assures that he is not like their father and to see for herself.
In You Will Hurt Him, the siblings start to connect, with Kelly even being protective of her after seeing Otis flirt with her. Katie was also amused by him giving the "death stare" to the latter and was happy Kelly told her to come to the house. When Katie graduated from culinary school, Kelly was the only member of her family to attend the ceremony and congratulated her, much to her joy. After the ceremony, Kelly told her that as her big brother he will be looking out for her from now on. To that end, he also organized a party for her at Molly's, something she greatly appreciated and nearly cried tears of joy before hugging Kelly as thanks.
The pair continued bonding and are shown to get along. He also gave Otis his blessings to date her after the latter asked.
The two become close enough with Kelly affectionately referring to her as "Sis". After Katie is offered a job in New York, she confides in Kelly that she was unsure whether she really wants to take it because of their growing sibling bond and a desire not to look like Benny in the moment. Kelly appreciated her telling him and promise to talk more about it but Katie was kidnapped in Tonight's the Night.
This caused him to become worried, so much that he went to Erin Lindsay for comfort in the crossover. Afterwards, he took matters into his own hands and attacked one of her abductors in Virgin Skin. Kelly soon locates his sister, battered and traumatized, before he brought her to the hospital, where he tells her he loves her and only wants for her to be okay. He also confronted her mother about her paying more attention to her stepchildren rather than Katie. After she recovers, he tries to be there for her, while she thanks him for the rescue and confirms she loves him too, she tells him she will move away and accept a job at a new restaurant. Although he was sad by this choice, he knew it was for the best.
Regardless, they remain on good terms and she gave him their father's badge after he died.
Jack Damon
Jack is Kelly's half-brother.
Kelly first met Jack when the latter entered Firehouse 51 as a floater for Truck 81. Kelly thought nothing much of him but was impressed with his vast inside knowledge of the house and operations. During the Season 12 finale, the two got the chance to talk and Jack reveals the reason he came to the house was to personally find Kelly, before revealing that his father told him about him and that his father was Benny Severide. A speechless Kelly realized that Jack is actually his younger half-brother.
Over the following seasons, the pair are slowly forming a sibling bond.
Romance
Renée Royce
After getting hooked on pain pills, he saved Renée's life and it resulted in them dating. She moved to Spain and he stayed behind. She is also known as 'Renée 2' as his ex-fiancée was 'Renée 1'. She returns in the season 1 finale to tell Kelly that she is pregnant, hours after he learned that IVF with Shay didn't work out. However, Severide soon figures out that the baby isn't his which prompts Renée to depart, leaving Severide heartbroken.
Brittany Baker
Brittany Baker-Severide was Kelly's first wife. The two first met at a craps table when Kelly goes on a weekend trip to Las Vegas and he asks for her help with betting due to her beginner's luck. After their second roll of winning, he kisses her. The next Monday, Kelly shows up at Firehouse 51 wearing a wedding ring and seems ecstatic, telling all of his colleagues that he married Brittany, 24 hours after they met, at a Silver Bells Wedding Chapel.
The couple get into an argument in Chopper because Brittany is scared that Severide will get injured on the job, but they were able to reconcile.
Kelly and Brittany decide to end their marriage in Arrest in Transit, after Kelly realizes that although they love each other, he became Brittany's escape from her parents after the loss of her sister. They split up at a train station and Kelly allowed Brittany to keep his ring, as a memento before he watched her head home to Florida.
Anna Turner
Severide donated bone marrow to Anna Turner, a patient with leukemia, they were a perfect match. Before the transplant, Anna and Kelly become close and find they have a lot in common. Anna jokes by saying that doctors said they were a perfect match. They eventually start dating. Anna decides to leave Springfield where she lived and worked at a hospital and move to Chicago and starts at Chicago Med, helping children with cancer.
Anna's cancer returns and it has spread to her bones due to an infection and her immune system was too compromised by the chemotherapy. Severide is taken by surprise when he can't get in touch with his girlfriend and worries. He calls father who tells him that Anna returned to Springfield because her cancer is back and she didn't want him to know. Kelly goes to her place in Springfield and she explain that she thought that by being together he wouldn't feel her loss so deeply and she didn't want that for him, but she tells him she's scared. She dies at Chicago Med in Carry Me. Kelly is there, begging the doctors to do something and revive her. However, she had signed a DNR, preventing them from resuscitating her. They spent her last moments together and her last words were "carry me".
Anna's father told him that she became her best when she was with him, that for a long time she smiled again. Later, Severide attends the dedication of wing in Anna's name at her last hospital in Springfield.
Years after her departure, Severide told Violet, who was passing through a similar experience after losing her boyfriend, that losing Anna was the toughest thing he've been through in his life, referring that she was the love of his life. He goes on and says he felt like a boat cut from the dock, lost with nothing to hold on to.
Stella Kidd
- Main article: Stellaride
Kidd and Severide start out as friends and she moves into his apartment when she needs a place to live. They spend lots of time together, watching movies and going out for milkshakes. Kidd's new boyfriend breaks up with her because he notices that something is going on between them and he doesn't want to get in the way. Soon, Kidd and Severide begin dating.
They break up after his father's death. She tells him she had been trying to work with him and take care of him, but he was not reciprocating. They get back together in I'm Not Leaving You and have been together ever since. Severide has mentioned that he wants to stay with Stella forever, imagining children and grandchildren together.
The pair hit a rough patch when Stella takes the Lieutenant's exam because Severide distances himself from her. He explains he wanted to support him and not stand in her way, but Stella says she needed him to be there. They reconcile and Severide confides in Casey that he wanted to propose. He later does so when caught in a fire, Severide proposes to her while on call to fight a fire and she accepted.
They get married on a barge surrounding the waters Kelly and his team almost drowned in during the episode No Survivors. This is mainly due to the fact that a wedding was already commencing on the docks where Stella originally wanted to wed at. Stella chose that particular area knowing it was where she almost lost Kelly.
Flings:
- Alex Ward (ex-fling, S4)
- April Sexton (ex-fling, childhood friend, S3)
- Jamie Killian (ex-girlfriend, S4)
- Erin Lindsay (ex-girlfriend, friend, S3)
- Renée Whaley (ex-fiancée, prior to the series)
- Nicki Rutkowski (ex-fling, S1)
- Zoya (ex-fling, S2)
- Hope Jacquinot (ex-fling, S6)
- Tara Little (he was set up for a sex assault suit, S1)
- Corrine (ex-fling, Leslie's ex, S1)
Friends
Matthew Casey
Kelly Severide and Matthew Casey are coworkers and lieutenants at the fire station. At the beginning of season one, after the death of a close friend, they have some trouble getting along and often butt heads, but would come together for the sake of the house. By season 2, they have stopped blaming each other and get along very well. They are often seen putting themselves in danger to protect each other, such as when Kelly went into an unstable burning building to help Casey rescue his fiancée, Hallie. After Casey is injured in Not Like This, Kelly was the first to notice that he was not healed. He was very concerned about Casey, asking him numerous times if he was okay and offering help.
Following Shay's death, Severide moves in with Casey and Dawson. Severide and Casey become roommates after Dawson moves out. Some of the strain on Casey and Dawson's relationship comes from Casey and Severide's relationship; with Casey putting Severide in front of Dawson, such as when Dawson tells Casey to ask Severide to move out and Casey responds by saying Severide "is going to need [him] on his side, so good or bad that's where [he'll] be".
In Headlong Toward Disaster, Severide instantly turns down an order from his Interim Chief Pat Pridgen to spy on Casey. He also tells the chief that Casey is "one of the finest firefighters [he's] ever had the opportunity to work with in the entire CFD."
Casey is the only person on the show to call Severide by the nickname Sev.
Leslie Shay
Kelly and Leslie Shay are co-workers, best friends, and roommates. In Season 1, Shay was supplying Severide with pain medication to help with his neck injury. In God Has Spoken, Shay and Dawson are restocking the ambulance at the scene of an MVC when a flatbed tow truck blows a tire and hits the ambulance. Dawson only had minor injuries, but Shay sustained a major head injury. She survives, but Severide blames himself for the accident because they were restocking painkillers Shay had given to him. He felt better once she came back to work and the accident was never mentioned again. She also wants him to donate sperm for her to conceive a child.
In Season 2, when Kelly is interviewed by Voight about the disappearance of Keeler, Voight asks him if Shay is his girlfriend. He responds "She would be if she wasn't a lesbian." Shay also said if she was not a lesbian then Kelly would be her choice of a man to date.
In Always, after Shay dies from a fatal head injury in the building explosion in Real Never Waits, Kelly is seen taking her death really hard. He takes a leave of absence from the department for over a month and refuses to come back to work until Casey convinces him. Even when he does return to work, Shay's memories haunt him frequently. Shortly after Sylvie Brett began to work in 51, Severide had to do a double-take due to her resemblance of Shay. The tension from this escalates to the point that he tries to hang out with Sylvie to get past Shay due to the fact they look similar. He's often shown over-drinking in bars and sometimes watching home videos of him and Shay. In I Am the Apocalypse, when Kelly is seriously injured during the Chicago Med incident, he's shown to be having dreams about her laughing while he's in surgery.
In That Kind of Heat, Kelly broke into a junkyard to retrieve the old door. He later puts her name on it and honor her memory.
Memorable Quotes
- (To Shay): "I didn't touch your yogurt."
- (To Shay): "No offense, I'm not taking advice from you right now."
- (To Shay): "That girl is in serious heat and I'm not Gandhi."
- (To Shay): “What’s shaking sparkles.”
- (To Shay): "I don't trust anyone in this world other than you."
- (To Katie): "Well you have a big brother now, and he wants to buy you a beer to celebrate."
- (To Katie): "I love you, Katie!"
- (To Jones): "Jones, you're at the Squad table."
- (To Devon): "I know you're a thief, I know you're a loser! I know you're bad news for Shay!"
- (To Stella): "You deserve a better man than me, so I decided I'm going to be the better man you deserve."
- (To Shay): "I love you"
- (To Tony): "I just saw a penguin crying"
- (To Stella) "That's not how I'm gonna go."
- (To Stella): "An old man, in bed, with our kids and grandkids, and you surrounding me."
- (To Stella): "You got this, Stella Kidd."
- (To a wife beater): “Hey, get in your car, get the hell out of here, or I’ll let him kick your ass.”
Notes and Trivia
- As shown in Season 2, Severide's Badge Number is stated to be 1751, although in Season 1 his badge number was shown to be 1068.
- Kelly's original vehicle was a vintage Black Camaro, written off after Hadley torched it. He then got a vintage blue Mustang.
- The Mustang is later destroyed in a wreck when carjackers attack Kelly and destroy the car.
- According to Boden, in his first two years as a Candidate, he "never looked sideways at the women he worked with."
- He was transferred to 51 after making Squad (8x02). Grissom thought it would be temporary (6x11).
- Behind his back, Squad calls him FILO "First in, Last out". Cruz mentions this in 5x12.
- It is mentioned that he was the youngest person ever to join Squad at the age of 23 years.
- He's always shown wearing a gold chain and pendant for unknown reasons.
- Kelly's mother revealed that he got his name from her father, John Kelly Sheridan.
- He lives in apartment 702 in which he moved in after Dawson and Casey got Louie. The address is 1117 S. Rosemont Ave. (6x21).
- He is the only character to have dated or had a fling with someone from all of One Chicago:
- Stella (wife, Fire),
- April (fling, Med),
- Erin (dated, PD).
- His childhood home address is: 6325 South Campbell Avenue. (9x08).
- In S6 E22, he states he has 16 Years of Service and has helped OFI on 64 cases.
- Meaning he joined the Chicago FD in 2002.
- In 11x13 he tells Carver that he has been in Squad 3 for 14 Years.
- Meaning he joined Firehouse 51 in 2009.
Gallery
Appearances
| Season 11 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hold On Tight | Every Scar Tells a Story | Completely Shattered | The Center of the Universe | Haunted House |
| All-Out Mystery | Angry Is Easier | A Beautiful Life | Nemesis | Something for the Pain |
| A Guy I Used to Know | How Does It End? | The Man of the Moment | Run Like Hell | Damage Control |
| Acting Up | The First Symptom | Danger Is All Around | Take a Shot at the King | Never, Ever Make a Mistake |
| Change of Plans | Red Waterfall | |||
| Season 12 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barely Gone | Call Me McHolland | Trapped | The Little Things | On the Hook |
| Port in the Storm | Red Flag | All the Dark | Something About Her | The Wrong Guy |
| Inside Man | Under Pressure | Never Say Goodbye | ||
| Season 14 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kicking Down Doors | Primary Search | In the Blood | Mercy | Ghosts |
| Broken Things | Pierce the Vein | A Man Possessed | Crime of Passion | Carry a Torch |
| Frostbite Blue | Coming in Hot | Hit and Run | ||
Crossover Appearances
Chicago Med
- S1E3 Fallback
- S1E5 Malignant
- S2E14 Cold Front
- S3E7 Over Troubled Water
- S4E2 When to Let Go
- S4E12 The Things We Do
- S4E17 The Space Between Us
- S5E4 Infection, Part II
- S5E12 Leave the Choice to Solomon
- S8E4 The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Teacher
- S10E11 In the Trenches, Part II
Chicago P.D.
- S1E3 Chin Check
- S1E10 At Least It's Justice
- S1E12 8:30 PM
- S3E21 Justice
- S4E9 Don't Bury This Case
- S4E16 Emotional Proximity
- S5E16 Profiles
- S6E2 Endings
- S6E15 Good Men
- S7E4 Infection, Part III
- S7E15 Burden of Truth
- S12E11 In the Trenches, Part III