Why Linda Reagan really left Blue Bloods revealed

It's ironic that Danny Reagan is a detective in the hit show Blue Bloods because, for a long time, it remained a mystery about what happened to the actress who played his on-screen wife, Amy Carlson, after her abrupt exit from the show in 2017 .

The 56-year-old, who played the mother of two Linda Reagan on the CBS police procedural, was killed off-screen before the premiere of season eight in 2017, owing to a tragic medevac helicopter crash in which the nurse was airlifting a patient to safety.

Fans were devastated by the news that one of their favorites would no longer be part of the beloved show, despite being a core cast member for seven seasons.

Amy wrote in an Instagram statement after her character's death, "My heart is full of gratitude to each of you for your generous support of me and my character for the last seven years of Blue Bloods– Linda Reagan."

"I loved playing Linda: wife to Danny, mother to Jack and Sean, nurse and working mom. I'm proud of my contribution to building this series." She thanked her fans for their passion and support of the show.

Amy, who starred in 155 episodes of Blue Bloods , revealed to Deadline in 2017 that her contract had simply ended; she chose not to renew it to move on to different projects and passions.

© Daniel Zuchnik

However, the actress was not entirely satisfied with her character's abrupt demise. "I feel badly that she dies the way she dies," she told the publication. "I did not know they would do that; I was surprised. I wouldn't have done that."

"I could've shown the death," she continued. "I guess it would've been nice for the fans to see her demise and to be a participant in it, and that was my vote for the fans."

"I'm not sure how I would've chosen it, but I just know that for the fans to have a way to grieve, to move through it, I think it would've been nice for them. "

© CBS Photo Archive

"That's just what I hear from them all the time, 'We really want you to come back', and I'm like, that's impossible. But they also say we wish we could've mourned the character, " she finished.

Her castmate, Bridget Moynahan , who plays Erin Reagan on the show, wished Amy all the best at PaleyFest shortly after the news broke. "I'm really thrilled for her to go off and pursue other things and follow what she felt was best for her, " she said.

© CBS Photo Archive

Since her exit from Blue Bloods in 2017, Amy has shown no signs of slowing down. She has worked on shows like The Society and The Village and more recently appeared in another hit show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit .

As for the silver screen, the mother of one appeared in Sunny Daze , Known Fear and The Incoherents , and tried her hand at directing and writing to great acclaim.

© Arturo Holmes

Amy directed and starred in The Letter , a 2020 short film she also co-wrote with her husband, Syd Butler. For the film, she won Best Director and Best Actor at the Hollywood International Women's Film Festival and also picked up a slew of accolades at the Cannes Indie Film Festival, amongst others.

As she wasn't talented enough, the Illinois native also released a full-length album with her band, Office Romance; she boasts her husband, Syd, and friend Seth Jabour as her bandmates.