Who Was Benny Severide on Chicago Fire? What Happened to Treat Williams?

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The Season 12 finale of Chicago Fire ended with a shocking twist involving an old character: Benny Severide, Kelly Severide’s late father. So, who was Benny Severide on Chicago Fire and what is his connection to Firehouse 51’s newest recruit? Keep reading for a refresher on Treat Williams’ character.

Who was Benny Severide on Chicago Fire?

Benny Severide (Treat Williams) was the father of Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and a complicated figure in the latter’s life. Benny was a notorious womanizer and wasn’t around much when Kelly was growing up. The elder Severide was also a former firefighter who served alongside Chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker). He later transitioned into arson investigation and was the captain of Office of Fire Investigations (also known as OFI). After years of being estranged, Benny and Kelly reconnected and worked together on several arson cases.

Despite his shortcomings as a father, Benny stepped up for Kelly in adulthood and the pair were able to mend their relationship before Benny suffered a stroke and died in Season 7, Episode 6. Before his death, Kelly learned that he has a half-sister he never knew about named Katie. Benny had been estranged from Katie for years, but they got back in touch in Season 2 Episode 3, which led Benny to tell his son the truth.

The show appears to be repeating that storyline, as it was revealed in the Season 12 finale that new firefighter Jack Damon (Michael Bradway) is actually Benny’s son. Damon first joined Firehouse 51 in Season 12 Episode 10 as a replacement for Derrick Gibson (Rome Flynn). Stella McKidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and several others immediately became weary of the newbie after overhearing him making a suspicious phone call on his first day. “That isn’t the only reason why I’m here,” he said on the phone. “No, no, nobody here knows. And I’ll keep it that way for as long as I want.”

Fans were quick to notice his demeanor around Kelly as well. The rookie seemed desperate to make a good impression on him and knew a lot about the lieutenant. He also instantly perked up when Kelly was around. Although his wife Stella had a bad feeling about Damon, Kelly actually took a liking to him and encouraged Boden to give him a chance.

More: What Ex-Chicago Fire Stars Are Up To Today

Viewers suspected that Damon was a long-lost relative of Kelly’s long before the season finale, with one fan suggesting that he might actually be Severide’s son. “I’m calling it now. Jack is Severide’s son!” they wrote in a Reddit thread. Several users disagreed, however, and noted that Severide is too young to be Damon’s father and Benny is more probable. “Maybe he’s another of Benny’s secret kids,” a fan wrote.

Their theories were proven true in the season finale when, after a difficult call involving an abusive father and his son, Damon confessed that Benny is, in fact, his father, making Kelly is half-brother. “That guy at the restaurant, the father, he was being mean and he was treating that younger kid like dirt. And I had a father like that, too…” Damon told the team, adding: “”His name was Benny Severide.” The episode ended before fans could learn more about Damon’s mysterious past, but Kelly definitely looked shocked.

Its unclear who Damon’s mother is, but Benny was married to a woman named Beth at the time of his death and she had two sons of her own. Maybe Damon is one of Beth’s sons and he views his step-father as his real dad. Whatever his relation to Benny may be, he clearly felt neglected or abused by him growing up, just as Kelly did. Season 13 will likely explore this storyline more, and perhaps the second step-brother will be brought into the mix. Unfortunately, there won’t be any flashback scenes with Benny.

The character’s portrayer, Treat Williams, died in a motorcycle accident on June 12, 2023, at age 71. “My thoughts and prayers are with Treat’s family,” Kinney said at the time. He added of his on-screen father: “He played my father on Chicago Fire, and was a father figure to everyone on set. I’ll always relish our conversations and his uncanny ability to light up a room. We all send love, he will be missed.”

Chicago Fire can be streamed on Peacock.

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