UPDATE: ‘Criminal Minds’ star Thomas Gibson fired after kicking show staff
Update: Gibson was fired from “Criminal Minds” on Friday. His character will be written out of the show, and the details of his exit will be revealed at a later date, according to ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios.
“I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last twelve years,” Gibson said in a statement. “I had hoped to see it through 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.”
He had played Special Agent Aaron Hotchner since the show started in 2005.
“Criminal Minds” star Thomas Gibson has spoken up after he was suspended from the show for allegedly kicking a staffer in the shin. His status on the US crime series is reportedly under review.
The 54-year-old actor apparently got into a physical altercation with a staff writer when Gibson was directing and starring in an upcoming episode. A source told People said Gibson kicked the other man in the shin “almost out of instinct” during their fight almost two weeks ago. The writer seemed fine at that time but his team found out and “it turned into something bigger.”
That other person is co-executive producer Virgil Williams, according to Deadline. Gibson has since been suspended and written off from one or two episodes. In addition to his suspension, his directing stint for season 12 of the show was scrapped as well.
“There were creative differences on the set and a disagreement,” Gibson said in a statement to Deadline in response to the suspension report. “We all want to work together as a team to make the best show possible. We always have and we always will.”
The paper also reports that Gibson, who has directed six episodes of the show so far, also pulled out a similar stunt in the past. He allegedly pushed assistant director Ian Woolf years ago. The incident had forced him to attend anger management classes. He is now in danger of losing his job. Human Resources is apparently reviewing his status on the show.
Nevertheless, according to a source, Gibson wasn’t too bad a person. He was described as “the most kind-hearted family man.”
“He’s a great guy, and I hate that this minor disagreement is what people are hearing about him,” the insider told People.
In “Criminal Minds,” Gibson plays Aaron Hotchner, the unit chief of FBI’s behavioural analysis unit. The show will return for its 12th season in the US on Sep. 28. Season 11 is still showing in Australia on Channel Seven on Wednesdays.
