What Happened to Maggie’s Husband on the CBS Crime Drama ‘FBI'? Inside the Details

There are so many twists and turns on the CBS hit series FBI that it can be hard to keep track of how certain characters met their untimely demise, such as the husband of lead character Maggie Bell.

Portrayed by actor Missy Peregrym, Margaret “Maggie” Bell is an FBI Special Agent and in charge of the team when they enter into the field. While her professional life is extremely hectic, her personal life has crossed over into it with fatal results.

Maggie’s husband was Jason Bell, who worked as an investigative reporter before his death that predated the series. Throughout the first season of FBI, Maggie was largely closed off to mentioning him with her colleagues, but would often reminisce by looking at old photos and videos of him.

At the end of season one, Maggie begins investigating the murder of a fellow investigative reporter like Jason was, but she and the FBI team realize the killer is a professional assassin whom Maggie recognizes in a previous video she took of Jason. Maggie then realizes that her husband was murdered and not killed in a car accident as she previously thought. The FBI ultimately finds and apprehends the assassin responsible for Jason’s death.

In a 2018 interview with CBS News, Missy explained the complexities of the character in such a demanding job. "What I love about Maggie is she's competent, she's been doing this for a long time," she said.

"Other roles I've played, like the cop I played, was a rookie. Playing that role is exhausting,” Missy continued. “It's like acting, I've been doing it longer and now I can relate [with Maggie]. The thing I'm enjoying this season is the new members of the cast, and they are bringing a lot to the table. It's fun to see those dynamics. We are really finding our groove right now."

Speaking with The Wrap in 2024, Missy explained why taking Maggie down the road of motherhood was important to her. “We know Maggie’s a badass. That’s great, but she’s also got other sides to her and I really wanted to explore that,” she said.

“There’s so much richness in that dynamic and internal conflict over what’s a good mother,” Missy continued. “I mean, there’s so much pressure. I like the idea of depicting this moral conflict and also exploring what is the right thing for her to do and who Maggie is. I’m so happy that they were open to expanding my character in this direction.”

The actor also shared how Maggie will juggle her busy job and being a mom, while also still grieving the death of her husband. “I love the storyline. It’s so beautifully complicated. It’s in Maggie’s blood to take care [of people], right? If there’s a problem, she’s going to find the solution. And now, her job is potentially a serious issue for being a caretaker, because all Ella needs is someone to really show up and be there,” Missy told the outlet.

“And she can’t always be there because of work. It’s her instinct to always throw herself into dangerous situations and now she can’t do that wholeheartedly, because she has to be able to go home for Ella,” she added.