Thomas Gibson has been fired from the CBS drama series “Criminal Minds” a day after a report surfaced that the actor was involved in an on-set altercation with a writer on the show.CBS Television Studios and ABC Studios said in a joint statement issued Friday that “Gibson has been dismissed from ‘Criminal Minds.’ Creative details for how the character's exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date.”
Gibson has been with the series since it began airing in 2005. The actor plays FBI agent Aaron Hotchner in the law-enforcement show that follows a team of psychological profilers working for the FBI's behavioral analysis unit.
In a statement sent through a publicist, Gibson said Friday, “I love ‘Criminal Minds’ and have put my heart and soul into it for the last twelve years. I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won't be possible now. I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew, and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have.”
The show’s 12[SUP]th[/SUP] season is scheduled to begin in September. Gibson was directing an upcoming episode for the series when the altercation took place.
Deadline cited an unnamed source on Thursday saying that Gibson kicked writer Virgil Williams, who has served as a co-executive producer on the series, during an on-set confrontation.
On Thursday, Gibson said in a statement, “There were creative differences on the set and a disagreement. I regret that it occurred. We all want to work together as a team to make the best show possible. We always have, and we always will.”
Gibson previously starred in the hospital drama series “Chicago Hope” and the sitcom “Dharma & Greg.”
It's rare but certainly not unheard of for actors to be fired from TV series. The most high-profile example in recent years was when Charlie Sheen was dismissed from CBS' "Two and a Half Men" in 2011, following wildly erratic public behavior and disagreements with creator Chuck Lorre.
Isaiah Washington was dismissed from ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" in 2007 after he reportedly used a gay slur while on set. But the actor returned to the medical drama several years later in a guest appearance.
