Taylor Kinney Attends First Red Carpet Since Taking a Leave of Absence from ‘Chicago Fire’

A source close to the production of Chicago Fire confirmed to PEOPLE in January that star Taylor Kinney would be taking a leave of absence from the series

Taylor Kinney was spotted on his first red carpet since taking a leave of absence from Chicago Fire.

The actor, 41, on Saturday, visited the 2023 MotoGP VIP Experience & Charity Giving event at the Circuit of The Americas racing track outside of Austin, Texas. The event was for MotoUp, a non-profit supporting military communities through motorsports.

“Thanks for stopping by @taylorkinney111 to see what we’re doing to help out our #veterans,” the organization’s Instagram account wrote on Saturday alongside a photo of Kinney posing on the red carpet with his girlfriend Ashley Cruger.

In January, a source close to the production of Chicago Fire confirmed to PEOPLE that the actor would be taking a leave of absence from the series “to deal with a personal matter.”

Kinney has played Lt. Kelly Severide since the show premiered in 2012.

His leave of absence was explained in this season’s episode titled “Damage Control,” in which Kinney’s character was said to be attending “the best arson investigation training program in the world.” However, it was hinted that joining the program doesn’t necessarily mean that Severide’s leaving the firehouse.