If you’ve been watching The Rookie lately, you probably noticed some pretty creative camera work around Bailey Nune. Those bulky firefighter jackets? The conveniently placed clipboards? The way she suddenly seemed to spend a lot of time behind ambulance doors or sitting at desks? Honestly, it was the classic "TV pregnancy" playbook in full effect.
But here’s the thing that threw fans for a loop. While Jenna Dewan was pregnant on The Rookie in real life during the filming of Season 6 and into the start of Season 7, her character, Bailey, was absolutely not.
It’s a weird disconnect. Usually, when a lead actress on a hit show gets pregnant, the writers just lean into it. They did it for Mekia Cox (Nyla Harper) and Alyssa Diaz (Angela Lopez). But for Bailey and John Nolan? The writers took a hard left turn, and the reasons behind it are actually pretty deep when you look at the show’s long-term plan.
The Mystery of the Missing Baby Bump
When Jenna Dewan announced she was expecting her third child (her second with fiancé and The Rookie co-star Steve Kazee) in early 2024, the internet immediately started speculating. Fans assumed a "Nolan Jr." was on the way. It made sense, right? Bailey and Nolan had just gotten married. They were stable. They were happy.
Except, showrunner Alexi Hawley had other plans.
Basically, the production decided not to write the pregnancy into the show. This was a first for The Rookie. Usually, the show prizes itself on "art imitating life." Instead, the costume department went into overdrive. They used every trick in the book:
- Gigantic LAFD turnout gear that could hide a small vehicle.
- Framing shots from the chest up.
- Strategic "prop placement"—hello, oversized medic bags.
It’s kind of funny to rewatch Season 6 now. Once you know she’s pregnant, you can’t unsee it. Jenna even posted videos on Instagram showing off how her "bump" disappeared the second she put on her heavy duty firefighter pants.
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Why the Writers Said No
So, why break the tradition? Why not just make Bailey pregnant?
The reality is that The Rookie already had a lot of "baby" energy. Between Nyla and Angela, the precinct was basically a daycare for a few seasons. But more importantly, the writers wanted to tackle a different kind of story: infertility and adoption.
During Season 6, Bailey and Nolan actually start trying to conceive. They go through the tests, the waiting, and the anxiety. Ultimately, they find out that Bailey cannot get pregnant biologically. It was a heavy, grounded storyline that many viewers found incredibly moving because it felt real.
Writing in Jenna’s actual pregnancy would have completely nuked that storyline. You can't really do a "struggling with infertility" arc while the actress is visibly eight months along. It wouldn't work. By choosing to hide the real pregnancy, the show was able to open a door to an adoption arc in Season 7, which Alexi Hawley (who has an adopted daughter himself) wanted to explore with more nuance.
Where Was Bailey at the Start of Season 7?
If you tuned into the Season 7 premiere and wondered where the heck Bailey went, you weren't alone. She was missing for the first two episodes.
The show explained her absence by saying she was "deployed overseas" with the National Guard. It was a bit of a clunky narrative fix—Nolan literally mentions asking her to "extend her deployment"—but it was necessary. In the real world, Jenna Dewan was on maternity leave.
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She gave birth to her daughter, Rhiannon Lee Kathryn Kazee, on June 14, 2024.
Because The Rookie Season 7 started filming right around that time, Jenna needed a few months off to be with her new baby. She didn't actually return to the set until August 2024. When she did come back, she brought the "plus one" with her, sharing adorable photos of her breastfeeding in the makeup chair while dressed in her full Bailey Nune medic uniform. Talk about a working mom.
The "Jason" Complication
Here is where things get really meta. Jenna’s fiancé, Steve Kazee, plays Jason Wyler on the show. You know, Bailey’s terrifying, sociopathic ex-husband who escaped from prison in the Season 6 finale?
Yeah, that guy.
So, while Jenna and Steve were at home blissfully welcoming a new baby together, their on-screen counterparts were locked in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Season 7 leans heavily into this. Even though Jenna was away for the first few episodes, the threat of Jason hung over everything.
It creates a strange dynamic for the actors. They go from changing diapers together to Steve playing a guy who is actively trying to ruin Bailey’s life. Jenna has joked in interviews that it’s "the best job ever" because they get to go to work together, even if he is playing a villain.
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What to Expect Next
Now that Jenna is officially back on set, the "hiding the bump" era is over. Bailey is back in action, and the show is moving full steam ahead with the adoption storyline.
If you're following the latest episodes, here's what's actually happening:
- The Return: Bailey officially reappears at the end of Episode 3.
- The Adoption Arc: The show is digging into the "realness" of adoption—the paperwork, the heartbreaks, and the uncertainty.
- The Jason Threat: Steve Kazee's character isn't going away quietly. His presence is the "most immediate problem" for Nolan and Bailey this season.
It’s refreshing to see a show handle a real-life pregnancy by prioritizing the character's long-term growth over a quick "miracle baby" plot twist. It gave Jenna the space to be a mom in private while keeping Bailey's story focused on something much more complex than just a typical TV pregnancy.
If you’re looking to catch up, the best way is to keep an eye on the Tuesday night airings on ABC. The chemistry between Nolan and Bailey feels different this year—maybe because the stakes of wanting a family are finally being treated with the weight they deserve.
Check out the latest behind-the-scenes clips on Jenna’s Instagram if you want to see how she balanced the "new mom" life with those intense Season 7 stunts. It’s pretty impressive.