The notion of a TV show going through cast changes for one reason or another isn’t all that unusual. In some cases, an actor might choose to leave a show in order to pursue other opportunities. And, at other times, a character naturally runs their course and is written out, leading to a star being ushered out of a production gracefully. However, there have been a number of instances in which an actor has dramatically exited a popular show for more salacious reasons. And we’re going to talk about a number of those situations.

Mackenzie Phillips (One Day At A Time)

Mackenzie Phillips dealt with substance and alcohol abuse during her tenure on One Day at a Time. As her problems increased and she allegedly became erratic on set, the actress was fired after the fifth season of the Norman Lear-produced sitcom. After voluntarily receiving treatment, Philips was invited back to the series at the start of Season 7. But, as mentioned in her Biography special she was fired one more time early in Season 9.

Delta Burke (Designing Women)

Designing Women cast member Delta Burke, who played breakout character Suzanne Sugarbaker, left the beloved CBS comedy after its fifth season. At the time, Burke was having issues with series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. While appearing on the Glamorous Trash podcast years later, Burke said she and the EP “tried to kill each other” but “survived.” They eventually patched things up and teamed up again for a short-lived spinoff series, Women of the House.

John Amos (Good Times) 

Fans, like myself, would probably argue that Good Times – one of the greatest sitcoms of all time – changed tremendously after John Amos’ James Evans Sr. was written out following Season 3. That creative decision was the result of Amos being incredibly vocal about his frustrations with the direction of the show and even threatening the writers. As the actor explained during an interview, series EP Norman Lear called him up personally to tell him he’d been fired. 

Rob Lowe (The West Wing)

Before he dazzled on Parks and Recreation and after rising to prominence as a “Brat Pack” member, Rob Lowe starred on The West Wing. The show was originally set to center around his character, Sam Seaborn, though the focus shifted early on. Feeling underutilized as time went on, Lowe left the show after four seasons.

Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)

Roseanne Barr’s eponymous ABC sitcom was revived for a tenth season that aired in 2018, and it saw considerable success. Following its renewal, Barr was fired after posting a tweet about former government official Valerie Janet that was condemned as being racist. Her dismissal led to the cancellation of Roseanne and the conception of a spinoff sequel series The Conners.

Janet Hubert (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

Two actresses portrayed Vivian “Aunt Viv” Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the first being Janet Hubert. By the NBC sitcom’s third season, she and lead actor Will Smith began to butt heads. Both were also dealing with situations in their personal lives. Ultimately, Hubert left Fresh Prince due to getting an unsatisfactory new contract offer and, years later, she and Smith made amends during the show’s 2020 reunion.

Kevin Spacey (House Of Cards)

House of Cards experienced a significant shake-up after Kevin Spacey was accused of being inappropriate towards actor Anthony Rapp while he was still a minor. Netflix eventually cut ties with Spacey and, as a result, he was replaced as the lead of the show by co-star Robin Wright.

Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

When it comes to an exit from a TV series, few get more dramatic than Charlie Sheen’s departure from Two and a Half Men. During the eighth season of the hit CBS show, he made headlines for partaking in wild parties and even entered rehab. Sheen’s fate was sealed, however, when he made disparaging remarks about series co-creator Chuck Lorre. Men would continue for four more seasons, with Ashton Kutcher taking over as co-lead.

Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) 

There are a lot of moving parts to Katherine Heigl’s Grey’s Anatomy exit, but it was truly set in motion after the actress kept her name from Emmy consideration in 2008. Heigl did that because she didn’t think the work she’d done for that particular season was Emmy-worthy. In 2009, the Izzie Stevens actress accused series creator Shonda Rhimes and the producers of initiating long work hours for the cast and crew. And, in 2010, amid Season 6 of the drama series, Rhimes released Heigl from her contract early.

Valerie Harper (Valerie/Valerie’s Family/The Hogan Family)

Amid the second season of Valerie, lead actress Valerie Harper became engaged in a salary dispute with both NBC and production company Lorimar. It was after that season that the Emmy winner was fired, and she ultimately sued both of the aforementioned companies for breach of contract. The series aired for four more seasons – and had two more names. But, ultimately, Harper won her case and was awarded $1.4 million and future show profits.

Robert Downey Jr. (Ally McBeal)

Robert Downey Jr. had experienced a number of personal issues by the time he was cast for Season 4 of Ally McBeal, and they continued throughout his tenure. During that season, he was arrested in November 2000 for drug possession and was taken into custody again under suspicion of being under the influence in Culver City in 2001. With that, Downey was fired from McBeal.

Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

In 2017, amid the MeToo Movement, Jeffrey Tambor was accused of inappropriate behavior by his former assistant. Shortly after, one of Tambor’s Transparent co-stars accused him of misconduct as well. Amazon, which had renewed the Emmy-winning dramedy for a fifth and final season, officially fired Tambor in early 2018. His character, who was the lead, was ultimately killed off in the musical series finale special.

Esther Rolle (Good Times)

Esther Rolle took issue with some of the creative decisions made on Good Times, not unlike her co-star, John Amos – who was fired after Season 3 even though Rolle was more publicly vocal about her disdain. Given her discomfort, Rolle left after the fourth season when her contract expired. She did, however, return as a main cast member for the sixth and final season. 

Suzanne Somers (Three’s Company)

Some TV devotees may not be aware that Suzanne Somers exited Three’s Company after five seasons due to a salary dispute with ABC’s execs. Her attempts to renegotiate a new deal proved to be unsuccessful, and her contract was not renewed. Throughout the remainder of the show's run, Somers' Chrissy Snow would be succeeded by two other characters.

Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill)

Many were likely surprised when Chad Michael Murray was one of two major stars to exit One Tree Hill ahead of its seventh season. At this point, there’s been no clear reason as to why Murray, who played Lucas Scott parted ways with the show. Some contend that he was ready to leave, but Murray was even recorded saying that the network wanted to drop him to save money.

Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)

Veteran actress Lori Loughlin was starring on Netflix’s Fuller House when she was indicted as part of the 2019 college admissions scandal. In 2020, Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to two months in prison. Given her legal woes, Loughlin’s Aunt Becky was excluded from the sitcom’s final season.

Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy)

It was in October 2006 that Isaiah Washington made headlines after it was reported that during an on-set conflict with Patrick Dempsey, he insulted their fellow Grey’s Anatomy co-star, T.R. Knight, with a homophobic slur. Washington reportedly issued an apology though, by the summer of 2007, his contract with ABC was eliminated after Season 3. Washington did, however, reprise the role for a Season 10 episode.

Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds)

Criminal Minds fired Thomas Gibson amid production on Season 12. As has been reported, Gibson, who was directing an episode at the time, had a disagreement with the episode’s writer. The scribe was on set at the time and, during an encounter with Gibson, the actor apparently kicked him. Gibson subsequently expressed regret over his actions.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed)

Few TV deaths were more tragic than that of Shannen Doherty’s Prue Halliwell during Charmed’s third season finale. In the years since she departed the show, Doherty has claimed that her on-set tension with co-star Alyssa Milano caused her to be let go. For her part, Milano said she was “sad” that Doherty blamed her for how everything panned out.

Danny Masterson (The Ranch)

While starring on Netflix’s The Ranch, Danny Masterson was investigated by police due to allegations of assault by multiple women. Masterson was soon fired from the series amid production on Season 3 and, in 2023, he was sentenced to prison.

Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

After leading Batwoman for just one season, Ruby Rose exited the Arrowverse show in 2020. The actress initially attributed her decision to the “taxing” nature of heading up a TV show as well as an allergic reaction to the latex in her costume. However, Rose later made claims of an abusive workplace against her ex-co-stars, The CW and more. Warner Bros. TV denied the allegations as did Rose’s former scene partners.

Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley)

Laverne & Shirley lost co-lead Cindy Williams early into the show’s eighth and final season. Williams became pregnant early into production and, as she explained to Today, she wouldn’t sign a new contract due to the producers having her work on her due date. So Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio finished out those last episodes without Williams’ Shirley Feeney.

Chevy Chase (Community)

It’s been well documented that Community’s Chevy Chase had creative differences with series creator Dan Harmon over his character, Pierce Hawthorne. While working on Season 4, the veteran funnyman reportedly had an on-set tirade during which he dropped the N-word. Chase departed the show shortly after that.

Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-0)

Daniel Dae Kim’s exit from CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot after seven seasons came down to a salary dispute with the network. After the news of his departure was reported, Kim himself (who was one of the procedural’s most recognizable stars) addressed the situation, confirming that he and the network couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal.

Lisa Bonet (A Different World)

Cosby Show spinoff A Different World finished its first season on NBC in early 1988 and, afterward, lead actress Lisa Bonet announced her pregnancy with then-husband Lenny Kravitz. The sitcom’s incoming showrunner, Debbie Allen, wanted to keep Bonet on the show and depict her character, Denise Huxtable, as a single mom. But, as Allen explained years later, series creator Bill Cosby preferred that Bonet be dropped from the show.

Columbus Short (Scandal)

After three seasons on ABC’s Scandal, Columbus Short was removed from the cast of the hit drama series. It was during that time that the actor was dealing with personal issues and was even arrested on a domestic violence charge. Short later explained that he was cut due to his struggles with drugs and alcohol.

Gina Carano (The Mandalorian)

MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano established a polarizing social media presence during her two-season stint on The Mandalorian. Among the controversial posts she shared was a message that seemingly compared being a modern-day conservative to being a Jewish person during the Holocaust. Disney and Lucasfilm fired Carano in 2021 ahead of the highly popular Star Wars show’s third season.

Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives)

Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan was written out of the show after the show’s fifth season, with her character, Edie Britt, being killed off. Several years later, the actress filed suit against Marc Cherry, the show’s creator and ABC. Sheridan alleged that Cherry assaulted her on the set and that she was fired for reporting it. Cherry provided an account of events and, in time, the harassment claims were thrown and Sheridan was unsuccessful in getting a retrial.

T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy)

In 2009, T.R. Knight – who played Dr. George O’Malley on Grey’s Anatomy – left the show after the fifth season. Knight said his reason for leaving was due to a “breakdown of communication” with series EP Shonda Rhimes, his own decision to come out as gay and more. This also all came a few years after Knight was allegedly insulted with a homophobic slur by ex-co-star Isaiah Washington. 

Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill)

Much has been said about Hilarie Burton’s exit from One Tree Hill after the sixth season. The most common assertion has been that the Peyton Sawyer actress couldn’t agree with the network on a new deal. Interestingly, while Burton recalled filming her final scene for the show, she noted that while shooting another sequence, a producer announced on set that the show was renewed for Season 7. However, both Burton and co-star Chad Michael Muray were surprised as they apparently hadn’t been offered new deals.

Justin Roiland (Rick And Morty)

Rick and Morty actor and co-creator Justin Roiland was fired from the Adult Swim show in 2023 after it was revealed that he was facing a domestic violence charge and other offenses in court. Roiland’s case was eventually thrown out later that year. However, the animator and voice actor was later accused of assault and messaging underage girls.

John Rhys-Davies (Sliders)

The sci-fi cult classic Sliders lost cast member John Rhys-Davies when the actor opted to depart after three seasons amid other cast changes. Sometime later, Rhys-Davies explained that he left due to conflicts with the writers. The veteran actor later explained that by the time he left the show, the scripts had become “incomprehensible gibberish.”

Here’s some simple TV math: the longer a series airs, the less likely its original cast will remain intact, regardless of how beloved the show or actor is. The majority of popular series over the years have gone through at least one major exit, and it’s bad enough when changes are revealed early, and characters’ last episodes are planned out and logical. It's far worse, however, when actors suddenly exit projects without any on-screen closure.

Surprise departures can curb audiences' enjoyment of a show, whether from disrupted cast dynamics or shoddy storytelling. And depending on how controversial the exits are, a key departure can completely derail a show's success. So let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable instances when stars parted ways with projects without closing their characters' stories.

Anna Faris (Mom)

During Mom's hiatus following Season 7, co-star Anna Faris suddenly revealed she was leaving the show, which reportedly shocked the creative team as much as fans. Allison Janney & Co. went forward with the eighth season, occasionally referencing Faris’ character Christy, but it was canceled without any kind of conclusion for the character, though the creators made it clear they didn’t want to kill her off.

Chevy Chase (Community)

Community already suffered the exodus of creator Dan Harmon and more creatives in Season 4, and then Chevy Chase allegedly used a racial slur on the set, leading him to drop out of the NBC comedy through mutual agreement with network execs. His character Pierce appeared multiple times after his official exit, due to episodes airing out of order, as well as that hologram cameo in the Season 5 premiere, but the SNL vet never returned as a regular, and was unceremoniously killed off via dialogue two episodes after the cameo.

Danny Masterson (The Ranch)

That ‘70s Show vet Danny Masterson reteamed with Ashton Kutcher on Netflix’s sitcom The Ranch, but was fired in December 2017 after multiple assault allegations against him were publicized. Masterson later faced trial, was convicted and sentenced to prison in September 2023, and did not return as Rooster Bennett, who was written as missing and presumed dead via motorcycle accident.

Suzanne Somers (Three's Company)

Three’s Company's early seasons were bolstered by the popularity of Suzanne Somers’ Chrissy Snow, but network execs reportedly refused the actress’ salary increase requests, leading to a unique stalemate agreement. Somers made only contractually obligated appearances in Season 4 episodes' closing tag scenes, which she filmed separately from her co-stars. Somers was fired by the season’s end, with Chrissy said to be caring for her sick mom in Fresno.

Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead)

Corey Hawkins joined The Walking Dead Season 6 as comic book fan-favorite Heath, but Straight Outta Compton's release that same year shot him to Hollywood’s stratosphere. In one of TWD’s most baffling moments, Heath disappeared in Season 7, and was never seen from again. Reportedly, Heath would have returned for the movies, but those plans have been shut down.

Emmy Rossum (Shameless)

The final two years of Shameless' 11-season run were without Emmy Rossum’s Fiona Gallagher. The actress announced her shocking exit in 2018, and Fiona’s final appearance came in the emotional Season 9 finale. Despite fans’ hopes, Rossum opted not to return for cameos in the remaining seasons, and the series finale wrapped without any major Fiona updates.

Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds)

Criminal Minds began its lengthy run with Mandy Patinkin’s Jason Gideon running the BAU, but that changed ahead of the third season when Patinkin left the show entirely over his disgust with the violent storylines. (He called joining the crime drama his “biggest public mistake” in 2012.) Gideon was replaced and killed off-screen seven seasons later, with Ben Savage guest-starring as young Gideon in flashbacks.

Columbus Short (Scandal)

Ahead of Scandal's Season 3 finale, co-star Columbus Short was arrested over a physical altercation at an L.A. restaurant, and eventually confessed he’d developed drinking and drug habits while dealing with a divorce and custody disputes. Short was fired from Scandal in April 2014, and his character Harrison Wright was revealed in Season 4 to have been killed off.

Gina Carano (The Mandalorian)

Former MMA badass Gina Carano landed the role of Star Wars merc Cara Dune in The Mandalorian, but lost the gig in February 2021. Following a series of controversial social media moves, Lucasfilm announced she would no longer be involved in the show. Cara Dune was not recast, and has not returned to the franchise since the Season 2 finale.

Valerie Harper (Valerie)

The Hogan Family began its existence as Valerie, starring the Emmy-winning Valerie Harper as its lead matriarch for two seasons. She was later fired after salary disputes and sued NBC and production company Lorimar. While her initial claims were dismissed, a judge ruled Harper was indeed wrongfully terminated, netting her a financial win. Her character suffered an offscreen death, leading to the series' name changes.

Robert Downey Jr. (Ally McBeal)

Following a string of 1990s scandals, Robert Downey Jr. landed the role of love interest Larry Paul in Season 4 of Fox’s hit dramedy Ally McBeal, which earned him a Golden Globe. But additional arrests in late 2000 and 2001 led creator David E. Kelley to cut ties with RDJ completely. The fifth season, which would have chronicled Ally and Larry’s post-wedding bliss, had to be completely rewritten.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed)

Though Charmed’s eldest sister Prue Halliwell was the trio's most powerful, the third season finale left Shannen Doherty’s character facing possible death. Though presumptions held that she’d return for Season 4, tensions and more issues surrounding Doherty and Alyssa Milano led to Doherty’s firing via phone call. As such, Prue’s wounds turned out to be fatal, but Doherty did not return for the funeral episode.

Clayne Crawford (Lethal Weapon)

Fox’s iteration of Lethal Weapon paired Rectify vet Clayne Crawford with Damon Wayans. But instead of buddy cop love, reports indicated strife and hostility building between the co-stars, along with complaints about Crawford's directorial work. His exit was reported on the day of the Season 2 finale, which ended on a cliffhanger for his character Riggs, who was unsurprisingly revealed to have succumbed to his wounds. Seann William Scott joined Season 3 as a replacement.

Grace Park (Hawaii Five-0)

After seven seasons portraying Kono Kalakaua for CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot, Grace Park opted to vacate her role alongside Daniel Dae Kim after their attempts to secure pay equality with co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan were turned down by CBS Television Studios. Kono was revealed to have relocated to Carson City, Nevada, as part of a trafficking task force, with Danny sharing their break-up update in Season 9.

Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds)

Various Criminal Minds stars exited the drama for different reasons, but Thomas Gibson’s case. stands out. Despite the show still being early into filming Season 12, ABC Studios and CBS Studios revealed the actor’s termination via a joint statement in August 2016, less than a week after Gibson was suspended over an on-set altercation with a writer-producer. A later episode revealed his character Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner entered Witness Protection after discovering serial killer Peter Lewis stalking his son Jack.

Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)

One of the '90s' biggest sitcoms returned to ABC in 2018, with Roseanne bringing comedian Roseanne Barr back as its matriarch. But that return only lasted for a single season, as Barr tweeted a message about former White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett that was considered racist, and two months after its Season 11 renewal, Roseanne was effectively canceled. The network relaunched without Barr as The Conners, which kicked off its run by killing off Roseanne Conner via drug overdose.

Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

Two and a Half Men thrived on the chemistry between Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, but the show went into hiatus in 2011 due to Sheen’s then-latest rehab stint, at which point the actor began slamming CBS and Chuck Lorre in a variety of high-profile interviews. Season 8 was then shut down mid-production, with Sheen’s firing later capping things off. His public meltdowns continued capturing headlines as Ashton Kutcher helped fill the Charlie void, and unfortunately didn't make good on rumors of his series finale return.

Lisa Edelstein (House)

Across her years as Dr. Lisa Cuddy, House star Lisa Edelstein went from playing contentious boss to adoring lover. Upon Season 7’s end, she and two co-stars were asked to take salary cuts during contract negotiations, with Edelstein being the lone holdout. She announced her exit ahead of Season 8, and Cuddy was later revealed to have quit as Dean of Medicine, with Omar Epps’ Eric Foreman taking on the duties for the final season.

James Garner (Maverick)

For three seasons, James Garner portrayed Maverick's title character Bret Maverick, but the 1960 writers' strike helped bring that run to a sudden close. When Warner Bros. attempted to lay Garner off due to a lack of scripts, he fought back and successfully sued the studio for breach of contract. According to the actor, he personally turned down an offer to return with a raise, saying, “I want out,” and though Bret appeared in an airing-delayed Season 4 ep which was filmed far earlier, Garner did not return, with fill-in stars Roger Moore and Robert Colbert added later.

Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy)

Katherine Heigl took a temporary leave from Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6 to shoot a movie and spend time with her adopted daughter, which sparked her to request to be released from her contract 18 months early. Disputes have raged on over how her sudden exit was handled, considering Izzy never experienced an official “farewell” scene. Alex Karev’s final ep specifically noted that he and Izzy were back together and raising twins in Kansas. While Heigl notably reunited with former co-stars at the Emmys, giving fans hope that Izzy could return, she has yet to justify those hopes.

Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs)

Nine months after The Goldbergs co-star George Segal died at 87, lead actor Jeff Garlin vacated the show following multiple HR investigations into allegations of misconduct. The departure was said to be a mutual agreement between the actor and the producers and network, and because it happened in the middle of filming Season 9, the producers used CGI, physical stand-ins, and archival audio to make it appear as if Murray was still around. The writers ditched that idea going into Season 10, though, and revealed Murray's off-camera death.

Freema Agyeman (New Amsterdam)

Freema Agyeman portrayed New Amsterdam's oncology chief Dr. Helen Sharpe for four seasons, and while many expected her back for the fifth and final season, the actress shockingly announced her exit amid the summer hiatus, cheekily pleading for fans to continue Sharpe’s story via fan-fiction. She went on to co-star in the series Dreamland, cementing Sharpe and Dr. Goodwin’s break-up, and though the character did appear on TV in a later Season 5 episode, it was without any overarching updates.

Hartley Sawyer (The Flash)

In 2017, actor Hartley Sawyer landed his stretchiest role yet as The Flash’s Ralph Dibny, a.k.a. Elongated Man. Three years later, in response to his comments about Black Lives Matter, social media users pulled up multiple derogatory and offensive tweets the actor posted between the years of 2009-2014. He publicly apologized for the posts, but a week after waves were made, Warner Bros. TV and The CW fired Sawyer from The Flash, which used an uncredited body double for Season 7’s “Mother” to write Ralph out alongside Sue Dearbon.

Jill Marie Jones (Girlfriends)

Jill Marie Jones crushed it as Girlfriends’ ego-driven Toni Childs for six seasons but was the only main cast holdout who exited the dramedy ahead of Season 7 over her contract expiring. Jones' exit was explained through Toni moving to New York City at the end of Season 6, but Jones spoke openly in 2007 about feeling that Toni’s story wasn’t over and that she'd be willing to return if the writers put something together. Alas, the show was canceled in 2008 before that could happen.

Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)

Lori Loughlin returned to her Full House role of Rebecca for the Netflix continuation series Fuller House, but her appearances ceased in Season 4 after she was fired by Netflix over her and her husband Mossimo Giannulli’s actions regarding the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. Though the actress was later able to reprise her When Calls the Heart character, Aunt Becky didn't return at all for Season 5.

Kevin Spacey (House Of Cards)

Alongside Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey made streaming TV normal with Netflix’s House of Cards. In the weeks ahead of Season 6's production, Spacey faced widely publicized accusations from actor Anthony Rapp, was subsequently fired by Netflix and was removed from executive producer duties. His character Frank Underwood was revealed to have been poisoned and died ahead of the Season 6 premiere.

Leanna Creel (Saved By The Bell)

Leanna Creel’s Tori Scott remains one of pop culture's biggest curiosities, having slid into NBC’s Saved by the Bell for its final season during a run of episodes lacking Tiffani Thiessen’s Kelly and Elizabeth Berkley’s Jessie. The leather-clad character shook things up for Zack & Co. for just ten episodes, and was never heard from again.

Wayne Rogers (MASH)

Three years after joining CBS' MASH, actor Wayne Rogers grew discouraged by his character Trapper John not reaching his expectations, and unexpectedly opted to quit the hit series ahead of its fourth season. But while fellow exiting co-star McLean Stevenson was able to be written out of the Season 3 finale, Trapper John's absence had to be explained away in the Season 4 premiere without Rogers around.

Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

Batwoman’s first foray into live-action saw Ruby Rose wearing Kate Kane's cape and cowl, but she left the Arrowverse series shortly after the first season ended. Reports noted she was fired over on-set behavior, with Rose claiming the show’s taxing nature led her to suffer back surgery following an alleged on-set accident. Replaced as a lead by Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder, Kate later returned in a different physical form without Rose’s involvement.

Kate Jackson (Charlie's Angels)

O.G. Charlie’s Angels star Kate Jackson won viewers’ hearts for three years as Sabrina Duncan, which is when she followed former co-star Farrah Fawcett out the door. Jackson spoke warily of the writers’ scripts, and after being denied the opportunity to join Kramer vs. Kramer due to scheduling, she intentionally caused an on-set mess that led to her dismissal ahead of Season 4. Replaced by Shelley Hack’s Tiffany Wells, Sabrina was revealed to have left the agency to become a mother.

Jon Seda (Chicago P.D.)

Jon Seda’s Antonio Dawson jumped from Chicago Fire to P.D. to Justice and back again for seven years. Surprisingly, NBC and Wolf Entertainment chose not to renew Seda’s contract ahead of Chicago P.D.'s seventh season, and he was let go. Later episodes revealed the character fell back into pill addiction following the prior finale's cliffhanger, and he was checked into rehab, eventually moving to Puerto Rico after resigning from the force.

Selma Blair (Anger Management)

Charlie Sheen followed Two and a Half Men with the comedy Anger Management, co-starring Selma Blair for part of its run as his colleague and fling interest Dr. Kate Wales. Conflict between Blair and Sheen bled into the tabloids, and a reported ultimatum from Sheen led producers to fire Blair, with her character suddenly being explained away as having moved to India.

Warning! Major spoilers are below for Criminal Minds’ final two episodes, so tread carefully if you haven’t yet watched.

The relatively stereotypical nature of Criminal Minds’ third-to-last episode, “Family Tree,” might have led viewers to the false belief that the CBS drama wouldn’t be going outside the box for its final installments. Thankfully, though, both “Face Off” and the true finale, “And In the End,” were crafted in a way that both spoke to the show’s history and to its future. As it often does, the past allowed for some familiar faces to return, though perhaps not all the familiar faces fans might have expected from a series finale.

Criminal Minds’ showrunner Erica Messer spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of the finale’s airing, and our conversation touched upon some of the cameos that did and didn’t happen. So read on to see what she had to say.

Jason Gideon (Ben Savage, Mandy Patinkin)

Expectedly, the penultimate episode put a punctuation mark on the show’s final villain, The Chameleon, and took him out once and for all. But as the team was still in the process of tracking down Everett Lynch (Michael Mosley), Rossi went down into his basement for some reflective thinking, which is where he crossed mental paths with the younger version of Jason Gideon, as portrayed by Ben Savage.

When I asked Erica Messer how great it was to bring Ben Savage back for a final appearance from Jason Gideon – Savage first took on the flashback role in the same season when the character was killed off-screen – here’s what she told me:

Ben Savage’s Gideon drew Rossi into a deeper look why Everett Lynch would have spared Rossi’s life in the first place, and where the weakest link in the information chain was. Fittingly, Gideon disappeared after Rossi realized what the missing piece of the puzzle was.

However, that wasn’t the only time that viewers got to see Jason Gideon on their screens. The final episode utilized footage from the Season 1 premiere, in which Mandy Patinkin’s Jason Gideon was seen and heard once more in the BAU offices.

Maeve Donovan (Beth Riesgraf)

Not to be outdone by Rossi, Reid’s brain was also looking back to the past for some helpful advice and guidance during his unconscious time in the finale. After walking into a Season 1 flashback, Reid then came across his guilt personified in the form of Jayne Atkinson’s Erin Strauss, the former BAU section chief who got murdered in Season 8. Next up was C. Thomas Howell’s George “The Boston Reaper” Foyet, the Unsub in Seasons 4 and 5 who was beaten to death by Thomas Gibson’s Hotch.

But easily the most meaningful of these hallucinatory reunions was with Beth Riesgraf’s Maeve, Reid’s girlfriend who was tragically killed in Season 8 by Michelle Trachtenberg's Diane Turner. Criminal Minds’ showrunner Erica Messer was very happy to bring Riesgraf back to reprise the role, since it was what Reid needed. In her words:

As much as Reid did seem to be more at peace with himself and the rest of the world by the end of the episode, part of me did wish there was a way for the two characters to stay reunited, though I realize that would mean Reid probably needed to stay in a comatose state the entire time.

Why Didn’t Shemar Moore Or Thomas Gibson Return?

Having those Season 1 flashbacks in the finale definitely helped Criminal Minds reach something resembling a full-circle resolution. That said, fans no doubt wondered why the producers didn’t lure back other long-absent regulars such as Shemar Moore and Thomas Gibson (even if the latter’s firing in Season 12 might have made his return slightly awkward).

As it happens, Erica Messer said bringing those actors back was a goal that she and the producers had, but due to outside circumstances, it never came together. In her words:

Considering Mandy Patinkin exited the show in its early seasons over creative differences concerning violent content, so I don’t know that anyone expected him to return in the flesh. But Thomas Gibson seemed like a distinct possibility, considering how much fans have asked for his return to happen.

Shemar Moore, meanwhile, seemed like a guarantee, considering he left the show amicably with his character Derek Morgan still alive, and he'd also reappeared a couple of times after leaving. However, Moore is busy elsewhere at CBS with S.W.A.T., so it’s very possible that his schedule wasn’t free enough to allow for a final cameo.

Imagine if had Derek shown up in the finale by walking into the BAU just as his Baby Girl agreed to meet up with Alvez for a mini-date. Yikes, amirite?

After 322 episodes, Criminal Minds is finished, without any more new episodes on the way. There will be plenty of repeats, though, and fans can now start hoping for a spinoff to go into development at CBS at some point in the future.

CBS’ Criminal Minds had an incredible run. A little over 320 episodes have aired since it debuted in 2005 and it has even been given a couple of spinoffs, though neither were particularly popular or lasted super long. The original show wrapped after fifteen seasons, and soon, a new spinoff series will premiere on Paramount+ called Criminal Minds: Evolution, continuing the story. But until that comes out, let’s talk about how the cast has changed over the years. 

As would be expected for a long-running drama, over the show’s run a lot of the Criminal Minds cast members have come and gone and come again, some under some pretty sketchy circumstances. So which actors have left Criminal Minds (and which have returned) and why did they do it? And, just who might be coming back to the spinoff?  

Why Mandy Patinkin Left Criminal Minds

Mandy Patinkin was the original star of the show. Patinkin played Senior Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon, the head of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Mandy Patinkin left the show after two seasons over “creative differences.” It would be years before he finally explained his departure. In an interview with Deadline, Patinkin explained that he didn’t feel comfortable with a lot of the subject matter covered on the show and decided it wasn’t something he wanted to be a part of.

His character Jason Gideon’s departure was equally perplexing, as Mandy Patinkin seemed to have caught the producers by surprise. Ultimately, Gideon was written out quickly, resigning after a particularly difficult case. Eight seasons later, the character was killed (off screen) by a serial killer being pursued by the BAU team.

Why Shemar Moore Left Criminal Minds

Shemar Moore’s character Derek Morgan is among the most popular characters over the show’s run. A star for over 10 seasons on the show, he's returned to Criminal Minds in a guest-starring capacity. However, when he left for good, according to what the character said at the time, it was to spend more time with his wife and baby, though it was announced soon after that Moore would be starring in a new CBS show, S.W.A.T.

Shemar Moore's sendoff was more emotional than many of the other actors, as he was one of the few who left the show on very good terms with both the show’s producers and CBS. On the procedural, Derek Morgan left the BAU for the same reason Moore left the show, to care for his family.

Why Thomas Gibson Left Criminal Minds

Thomas Gibson’s exit from Criminal Minds was by far the most controversial. Gibson, who played Unit Chief Senior Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner, was fired from the show after an on-set fight with a producer that allegedly got physical during the filming of Season 12 in 2016. The show was only two episodes into the season when the confrontation occurred and Gibson was fired the day after the reported fight.

Gibson's character was written out quickly, as Hotch was placed in Witness Protection to protect his son from a serial killer. 

Why A.J. Cook Left Criminal Minds

A.J. Cook is one of the original stars of Criminal Minds cast, with her character, JJ, going all the way back to the beginning. However, her run as a cast member has not been without its ups and downs. After Season 5, it was announced that Cook did not have her contract renewed in what was reported to be a cost-cutting move by the show’s producer. She did appear in a handful of episodes in Season 6 to wrap up their storylines and was then gone. Just not for long.

The passionate fans of the show were outraged and eventually the show relented and brought her back before the start of Season 7. A.J. Cook was a cast member on Criminal Minds until the show’s end, and will be reprising her role on Criminal Minds: Evolution.

Why Paget Brewster Left Criminal Minds

Like A.J. Cook, Paget Brewster’s run on the show has been filled with ups and downs. Brewster’s character, Emily Prentiss, first appeared in the middle of Season 2 after Elle Greenaway, played by Lola Glaudini, left the BAU when Glaudini left the show.

Brewster would go on to star as a full-time Criminal Minds cast member through part of Season 7, when she left the show to pursue other opportunities. She continued to appear as a guest star a few times after that, though. Then, at the end of Season 11, she returned for Shemar Moore’s final episode, returning for good for Season 12. Paget Brewster was a regular on the show since her return, and will be continuing her role in Criminal Minds: Evolution. 

Why Jeanne Tripplehorn Left Criminal Minds

Jeanne Tripplehorn burst onto the Hollywood scene in the early nineties when she starred in a number of box office hits (and one infamous bomb). She played Michael Douglas’ wife in Basic Instinct, then went on to play Tom Cruise’s wife in The Firm. The only flick to mess that run up was when she starred as Kevin Costner’s love interest, of sorts, in the notorious Waterworld.

She joined the cast of Criminal Minds in Season 8 as Dr. Alex Blake. Her run with the show was fairly short, leaving after just two seasons when contract negotiations fell apart. Her character's exit came after she decided working in BAU reminded her too much of her deceased son and she left.

Why Jennifer Love Hewitt Left Criminal Minds

It’s easy to forget that Jennifer Love Hewitt starred on Criminal Minds for two seasons as Kate Callahan. Her character’s arc ended dramatically when a pregnant Callahan faced every mother’s nightmare. Her niece, whom she had adopted after the death of her sister and brother-in-law in the September 11th attacks, was kidnapped and then rescued. Kate Callahan decided she needed to take some time away to care for her adopted daughter and soon-to-be-born baby.

Like her character, Jennifer Love Hewitt left the show at the same time for maternity reasons. Like the character, Hewitt was pregnant with her second child and it was announced before Season 11 that she would be leaving the show to care for her growing family.

Why Rachel Nichols Left Criminal Minds

Rachel Nichols joined the show first as a guest star in a three-episode arc that eventually morphed into her getting signed on as a full cast member. She joined as Ashley Seaver, an up-and-coming FBI trainee, but that gig was controversial at first, with fans angry that she was seemingly replacing the two popular characters played by Cook and Brewster. Ultimately, she didn’t last very long. She was let go after just one season when the other actors returned.

Why Damon Gupton Left Criminal Minds

Blink and you might have missed Damon Gupton’s very brief run on the show during Season 12 as Special Agent Stephen Walker. Gupton departed the show as fast as he joined when the network decided not to renew his contract in the wake of a number of cast maneuvers before Season 13.

Why Lola Glaudini Left Criminal Minds

Lola Glaudini starred as Elle Greenaway in the first season of Criminal Minds. This was not Glaudini's first time playing an FBI agent, as she also starred on The Sopranos as Deborah Ciccerone-Waldrup, a Federal Agent going after Tony Soprano.

Elle Greenaway had a violent end to her run with the BAU, both being shot and shooting suspects in her final episode. Lola Glaudini's personal reason for leaving the Criminal Minds cast was not nearly as dramatic. She reportedly wasn't happy living in L.A., where the show was shot, and wanted to return to her home on the East Coast.

Who Is Going To Be Back For Criminal Minds: Evolution?

Unsurprisingly, many of the actors from this list who left the show already are not going to be back for Criminal Minds: Evolution, but we have already confirmed two above – A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster. Of the main cast members who were still on the show when Criminal Minds came to an end in Season 15, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, Aisha Tyler as Tara Lewis, and Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez are all set to come back for the reboot on Paramount+, according to Deadline. 

However, two important characters from the line-up haven’t been confirmed to come back, and those are Spencer Reid and Matthew Simmons, played by Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney. 

Neither have given confirmation as to why they aren’t returning, but one theory for Henney is that it’s most likely because of a schedule conflict, since he has to also devote his time to the Amazon Prime original series, The Wheel of Time, and its demanding filming schedule. 

Even so, the showrunner of Criminal Minds: Evolution, Erica Messer spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the possibility that some people might return that haven’t been confirmed yet, where she specifically mentioned their desks and how they will still have stuff: 

Whether that means they’ll be back or not is up in the air, but it’s something to keep in mind as we wait for Criminal Minds: Evolution to premiere.

So there it is. The topsy-turvy world that is the Criminal Minds cast. It's been a wild ride for the fans of the show and for the actors that have helped make the drama the huge success it is, and now, it’s going to be even crazier once Criminal Minds: Evolution debuts.

Some of the juiciest drama happens behind-the-scenes of TV shows. Offhand, you can probably think of any number of actors/actresses from Downton Abbey to Game of Thrones and beyond with shocking exits. Sometimes the actors leave under let's say cloudy conditions, and other times it's the showrunners who create controversy with the writing of the exit. It's kind of amazing to think that we've had so many such departures just in the past five years. This list only scratches the surface -- starting with the exit that should be coming up next...

George Eads, MacGyver

George Eads is leaving MacGyver, with the show setting up an exit for his character Jack Dalton in the Friday, February 1 episode. Eads reportedly had an on-set altercation of some kind back in October and subsequently stormed off the Atlanta set. When he returned, he asked to be released from his contract, reportedly due to a desire to spend time with his daughter in Los Angeles. Eads also left a different CBS show under similar circumstances. He left CSI after 15 seasons, one season after an on-set problem with one of the writers. It seemed like he might quit, but he took a leave of absence and came back for another season before being written off.

Clayne Crawford, Lethal Weapon

Clayne Crawford's departure from Lethal Weapon was ugly from every angle. He was cut from the show before Season 3 due to alleged misconduct. The show decided to kill off Martin Riggs and give Damon Wayans' Roger Murtaugh a new partner. Some of Crawford's bad behavior was caught on camera, including clashes with Wayans, who didn't come across so good himself. In one instance, Crawford had a meltdown over filming scenes at an L.A. area pool. After that, he agreed to undergo counseling. Ultimately, his character was killed off and -- after a time jump -- Seann William Scott stepped in as the new co-lead Season 3. In late 2018, Wayans said he planned to leave the show after Season 3, but that may not be the case anymore. Then again, Fox has yet to renew the show for a Season 4, so it may be a moot point.

Thomas Gibson, Criminal Minds

Thomas Gibson's character Aaron Hotchner was written off Criminal Minds after the actor had an on-set altercation during production on Season 12. Gibson was directing an episode and had a heated incident with the episode's writer, allegedly kicking at him. He was fired. Hotch, a main character of the show, was written to have taken a consulting job off screen. Later, that was said to be a ruse, and he went into witness protection to get away from Mr. Scratch. Hotch could've returned to the BAU later, but fans were told that he decided to retire and be a full-time parent to Jack. It's not clear if Hotch will return for the Criminal Minds finale. That wasn't the first time something like that had happened; in 2010, Gibson allegedly pushed an assistant director, and had to take anger management counseling.

Danny Masterson, The Ranch

Danny Masterson was fired from Netflix's The Ranch during filming for Season 3, after five women came forward with rape allegations. His character, Rooster, appeared to leave town at the end of Part 5. But that wasn't the end of his story. When Part 6 premiered, Beau Bennett (Sam Elliott) got a call that Rooster's motorcycle was found at the bottom of a cliff. Apparently he went into a curve too fast, his brakes locked up, and he went over the guardrail. Rooster's body wasn't found, but he was presumed dead, and the family held a memorial for him. So they killed Rooster off, but also left the door open for the character. Danny Masterson asked fans to keep supporting The Ranch, even with Rooster "MIA."

Roseanne Barr, Roseanne

Roseanne had a hugely popular revival Season 10 when it returned in 2018. But Roseanne Barr has never been shy with her opinions, and she took a tweet a step too far for ABC. Since it was Roseanne's show, with her name on it, when ABC wanted to fire Barr after a racist tweet, the network decided to cancel the entire show. ABC boss Channing Dungey called Roseanne's tweet about Valerie Jarrett "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values." The rest of the Roseanne cast, who were basically collateral damage in the drama, returned for a spinoff called The Conners.

Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Kevin Spacey's personal house of cards came crashing down after Star Trek: Discovery and Rent star Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of trying to have sex with him when Rapp was just 14 years old. After that, several members of the House of Cards also came forward with stories about Spacey's alleged misconduct. Netflix decide to cut ties with Spacey, and cut him out of the final Season 6 entirely. Robin Wright's President Claire Underwood was instead the lead of the shortened final season. The show killed off Frank Underwood, and also buried the character somewhere he would never want to be. Spacey later revived his character for a bizarre holiday video called "Let Me Be Frank."

Erinn Hayes, Kevin Can Wait

This casting drama started when it was announced that Kevin James' former King of Queens co-star Leah Remini would be joining Kevin Can Wait full-time in Season 2. That news was followed by reports that Erinn Hayes was fired after Season 1. The show decided to kill off her character, Donna, wife of Kevin's lead character. That allowed Season 2 to focus on Kevin's relationship with Remini's Vanessa Cellucci. The change didn't sit well with fans, and Hayes didn't seem to be happy with it either. CBS decided to cancel the whole show after Season 2 anyway.

Connie Britton, Nashville

It was a huge shock to Nashville fans when Rayna James died due to injuries from a car crash. It seemed like Rayna was going to be fine ... until she wasn't. Fans were devastated. What was Nashville without Rayna James? Connie Britton said leaving was her decision. She felt it was time to exit Nashville after it found a new home at CMT for Season 5. But the show continued for another season on CMT, and Britton even brought back Rayna back in the finale for two scenes -- a flashback and the big musical number at the end.

Sophia Bush, Chicago P.D.

Sophia Bush left Chicago P.D. after playing Det. Erin Lindsay for four seasons. She was tight-lipped about her reasons at first, and only opened up more over time, talking about her unhappiness on the set. Bush said (via TVLine) that she experienced "a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior." She said producers initially dismissed her complaints, and they even seemed irritated that she was asking them to investigate negative conditions on set. She gave them notice that if things didn't change by the end of Season 4, she'd quit. She threatened to sue the network and write an op-ed on why she was unhappy, but NBC ultimately allowed her an early exit from her seven-season contract.

T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley

T.J. Miller's Erlich Bachman was one of the main characters of HBO's Silicon Valley. When Miller announced he'd be leaving the show after Season 4 wrapped, plenty of reasons flew around as to why. Initially, Miller said he wanted to do more things like The Emoji Movie and have time to develop animated features. After that, more stories started coming out about his allegedly unprofessional behavior on set. He also reportedly didn't get along with star Thomas Middleditch. The more that came out, the more toxic and mutual the departure sounded.

Stana Katic, Castle

Stana Katic played co-lead Kate Beckett on Castle, so it was baffling to fans to hear she'd be leaving after Season 8 -- and not by her own choice. Nathan Fillion's contract was renewed, and he and some of the other stars were ready to return for Season 9. But how could Castle continue without Beckett? Rumors flew as to what happened, from recycled talk of tension between Katic and Fillion to discussion of various contracts. There was huge fan outcry, and ABC ultimately decided just to end the show with Season 8. Two different endings were filmed -- one with a cliffhanger if Season 9 had happened, and the happy ending that fans got to see. But the behind-the-scenes drama toward the end of the show's run was still fresh to fans, and soured the happy ending a bit.

Josh Charles, The Good Wife

So much of The Good Wife was the love story between Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and Will Gardner (Josh Charles). So it was a massive shock to see Will gunned down inside a courtroom in Season 5, Episode 15. Will was dead. Josh Charles had wanted to leave the show, and the creators wrote an open letter to fans to try and justify the end of Will's story. Charles' exit wasn't even the only dramatic one for the legal show. You may have heard about the rumored tension between Margulies and Archie Panjabi, who played Kalinda Sharma. When Panjabi left in Season 6, the show filmed a final scene for best friends Alicia and Kalinda. But there was speculation that the stars filmed their respective sides of the scene separately.

Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is now in Season 15 but fans are still pissed about Derek's death. There was already behind-the-scenes drama suggesting Patrick Dempsey would be leaving the show, but the way they wrote out his character in Season 11 was just brutal. Derek had stopped to help some people in a car accident, and ended up hit himself. He was rushed to a hospital, but not Grey Sloan, and his doctor made a mistake that ended up in Derek's death. Shonda Rhimes defended the decision to kill off Derek, saying it was better than having him just disappear on Meredith Grey. At least this preserved their love story. Some fans said they would stop watching after Derek's death. Even some current viewers still don't want Mer to be with anyone else.

Columbus Short, Scandal

Columbus Short brought his own scandal to Scandal. He played Harrison Wright on the first three seasons, but confirmed he wouldn't return for Season 4. Harrison was ultimately killed in the Season 3 finale. Short opened up later about the personal drama that led to his departure, saying, "I'll be candid. I was struggling with drugs. I had a lot on my plate, and you know, I was using unhealthy ways to kind of self-medicate and deal with a lot of heavy duty stuff in my life." He was jailed after getting into a fight in a restaurant, and his wife filed for divorce following a misdemeanor spousal battery charge. Short said Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes and the cast knew about his drug and alcohol problems and tried to protect him and hold him down. "And that was one of the real reasons – they just wanted me to get my stuff together."

Chandler Riggs, The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead loves a shocking exit, but if there was any character that seemed safe, it was Carl Grimes. Chandler Riggs apparently though he'd be safe for a while too, so it was shocking for him as well as fans when Carl was killed off halfway through Season 8. Riggs said it was "devastating" for him and his family, especially since he had just bought a house in the Atlanta area where Walking Dead films. Riggs' father also spoke out on social media, slamming showrunner Scott M. Gimple for firing Chandler two weeks before the actor's 18th birthday, despite telling him they wanted him on the show for the next three years. The very next season, the show's main star, Andrew Lincoln, also exited the show -- although this time it was by choice, and AMC didn't kill off Rick Grimes, the network is giving him his own set of films.

Those are just a few of the controversial departures from the past few years. There are more -- and many more if we went back even further in time. At this point, we've just started the second month of 2019, but it will surely add more names to the list. That's the way of the TV biz. For now, keep up on everything airing with our handy midseason 2019 schedule.

After what will have been a decade and a half on television, Criminal Minds will come to an end. As fans count down the days until the series' conclusion, let's take a look back at the past cast members who helped make it as successful as it's been over the years, and what they've been up to since leaving the program.

Mandy Patinkin - Jason Gideon

Mandy Patinkin's Jason Gideon was the one to kick it all off, as Jason Gideon served as Criminal Minds' Senior Supervisory Special Agent for 3 seasons. Unfortunately, Gideon eventually became disillusioned by the consequences of his and the team's failures, and Dr. Reid arrived at his cabin to find his badge and a note that he was off to find happy endings again. Gideon was later killed off in a Season 10 storyline off-camera.

In real life, Mandy Patinkin's exit wasn't fully explained until years later when the actor referred to Criminal Minds as the "biggest public mistake he ever made." Patinkin was disgusted with the amount of rape and murder showcased on the program and told New York Magazine (via Deadline) it was "destructive to his soul and personality." Patinkin offered no judgment towards those who enjoy the show but did question if it was something folks should be watching before bed.

Mandy Patinkin kept busy after his exit from Criminal Minds in many roles, and his longest television stint by far has been as Saul Berenson on Homeland. That ride is coming to an end after Season 8 and is scheduled to air Summer 2019. Patinkin doesn't have a ton on the horizon following that, but a new film he's in called Before You Know It is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27.

Lola Glaudini - Elle Greenaway

Elle Greenway had a rougher run than some members of the B.A.U. as she was attacked by a criminal the team was investigating. The emotionally scarring incident was the start of what evolved into a mental breakdown in which Greenaway shot and killed a serial rapist unprovoked. She escaped the incident without charges but resigned from the B.A.U. in Season 2 just as Hotch was planning to fire her.

Lola Glaudini's short run on Criminal Minds turned into quite a run on film and television, with her playing a part in quite a few high profile shows. Audiences can spot her as Anita Novak on Showtime's Ray Donovan, or possibly as Polly Hinton in a future episode of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Glaudini is also in the Minka Kelly film She's In Portland, which is due out in 2019.

Thomas Gibson - Aaron Hotchner

Supervisory Special Agent and B.A.U. Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner was with the show from the start and experienced some crazy things. This included the collapse of his marriage and murder of his ex-wife, but Hotchner persevered and kept his cool to bring down bad guys. Hotchner's ride came to an abrupt end as the character went into witness protection in Season 12 to protect his son. Hotchner ultimately left the B.A.U. to become a full-time father.

While it was an incredibly rushed exit for such a beloved Criminal Minds character, it was also inevitable as actor Thomas Gibson was fired following a physical altercation with a writer on the show's set. Fans have asked for a "Hotch" return since then, but responses from showrunner Erica Messer on whether or not that will happen even in light of the show's cancellation have been non-committal.

Thomas Gibson's once-thriving Hollywood career has somewhat stalled since his Criminal Minds removal, with one on-screen performance happening in Aisha Tyler's film Axis. Gibson's also involved in a television project called Shadow Wolves, which has a two-part pilot that's been circulating Hollywood for some time now. It hasn't been picked up yet, so fans of Gibson will need to wait and see if another project comes, or Criminal Minds decides to bring him back for the final season.

Shemar Moore - Derek Morgan

Derek Morgan was the low-key superstar of Criminal Minds, as the Northwestern Quarterback-turned-Supervisory Special Agent was the strength of the B.A.U. when the situation called for it. He would eventually step into the role of Unit Chief, albeit that run came to an end once the Boston Reaper was captured. Morgan eventually resigned from his position to care for his family, and brought his 13-season run to an end.

Criminal Minds viewers probably already know where to find Shemar Moore, as the actor's exit led to his run in CBS' S.W.A.T. Fans can catch him there, or if they're the type who appreciates animated superhero adventures, can hear Moore's voice in the animated feature Reign of the Supermen, which is out Tuesday, January 29.

Rachel Nichols - Ashley Seaver

FBI cadet Ashley Seaver was one of Criminal Minds' more interesting additions to the team as she grew up with a father later discovered to be a horrific serial killer. It was an interesting plot, but one that didn't run that long. Seaver was in and out of the CBS procedural in Season 6. Seaver was permanently out of the team in Season 7 and was said to have transferred to a domestic trafficking task force.

Rachel Nichols' run on Criminal Minds was short, but her career since then has been long. More recently, Nichols was seen on the DC Universe series Titans as Angela Roth, and has had recurring and guest spot roles on shows like The Librarians and Taken. Nichols is currently involved in a film called The Adventures of Buddy Thunder that's in pre-production, and audiences should expect to see her appear in more shows if 2019 is like past years.

Jeanne Tripplehorn - Dr. Alex Blake

Although Dr. Alex Blake was a Linguistics expert and new addition to Criminal Minds in Season 8, she had some past history with the B.A.U. long before her rejoining. Blake ultimately sought redemption for the events that led to her early retirement, and found them but at a terrible price. Two seasons later Blake became especially rattled when Reid almost died protecting her and handed in her badge not long after.

Jeanne Tripplehorn took a break from acting after Criminal Minds, then resurfaced in 2017 with a couple roles in 2018 as well. She hasn't had much to do with television but appeared in the films We Only Know So Much and Gloria Bell in the past year. The fact Tripplehorn hasn't done television since 2014 may mean she's a question mark for a potential return, although who knows what she may or may not be up for.

Jennifer Love Hewitt - Kate Callahan

Jennifer Love Hewitt's Kate Callahan was another one-and-done addition to the B.A.U., as the true blue FBI agent was added in Season 10. Kate and her husband were the guardians of her niece, whose parents died as a result of the attacks on September 11. Kate was pregnant throughout the season, and almost got taken away by human traffickers. She was saved and decided to take time away to be with her family.

Jennifer Love Hewitt's break from acting lasted much longer than a year, and audiences haven't seen her until recently on Fox's Ryan Murphy drama 9-1-1. Hewitt's Maddie Kendall was added in Season 2 and used to fill the void left by Connie Britton, who did not return as a series regular. Of course, Hewitt's run in Hollywood was well established before her guest spot on Criminal Minds, so viewers can always check out her work from that era too.

Damon Gupton - Stephen Walker

Stephen Walker joined the B.A.U. in Season 12, and was meant to help out with the team's ongoing battle against Mr. Scratch. Despite his extensive experience in the field, Walker ended up falling prey to Mr. Scratch and died as a result of his injuries following an accident with a semi-truck.

Actor Damon Gupton has kept busy since exiting Criminal Minds and can be seen in projects such as Dirty John, or The CW superhero series Black Lightning. Audiences will see a fair bit of him on the latter series, as his character Bill Henderson has become one of the hero's closest confidants. Fans will have to settle for those shows, because it doesn't seem likely Criminal Minds will be bringing him back to life for the final season.

Criminal Minds airs on CBS Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET. To see what else is on television around that time or to see what's premiering in the days to come, visit our midseason premiere guide.

Criminal Minds is officially ending, and fans have some questions. Here's one big one: Will fired actor Thomas Gibson's Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner return for the Criminal Minds finale? That is the question showrunner Erica Messer was asked, and this is how she answered:

That's what Erica Messer told TVLine regarding a potential return for Thomas Gibson's Hotch. While it was not a "no," it was not necessarily a "yes" either. For fans hoping Criminal Minds brings back the character for one more go, it is a glimmer of hope. As it was certainly not ruled out.

CBS recently announced that Criminal Minds would be coming to an end. The veteran crime drama is set to wrap up with one more season. All of which has led some to wonder if Thomas Gibson's former BAU unit chief Hotch will return for the finale.

It is not the first time the subject of Thomas Gibson returning to the series has been broached. Back in 2017, Criminal Minds' showrunner fielded the inquiry. Her response did not indicate a definitive answer either way. Fast forward to 2019, and the sentiment seems largely unchanged. The only major change is that now we know when the series is ending.

Thomas Gibson was let go from Criminal Minds back in 2016 following an altercation with one of the show's writers. Accordingly, the character was written off with a pretty happy ending in store. So, there are no loose plot threads to notably tie-up.

Any time a series comes to an end, questions tend to abound regarding which stars will come back and which will not. Especially when the actor/character was a long-running presence on the series. Accordingly, Criminal Minds is confronting the same situation.

In years past, the question of Thomas Gibson's potential return had not had a ticking clock placed on it. Now that Criminal Minds is officially coming to an end, there is one in play.

Criminal Minds will film its fifteenth and final season this spring, immediately after Season 14 wraps production. That leaves little time left to make to a decision regarding Thomas Gibson making a comeback. The CBS drama will draw to an end with ten episodes.

Along with balancing what could be some potential returns, Criminal Minds will have to close out its current characters' stories. Season 14 has yet to air its finale, which should set up the final season's activities. Criminal Minds' showrunner Erica Messer has already teased how the show will set up a slightly different final season.

One of the things Criminal Minds fans can look forward to is Rossi's upcoming nuptials. All told, there is a lot in store for the crime drama's upcoming episodes. Whether Thomas Gibson's Hotch makes a return before the series signs off, only time will tell for sure.

Criminal Minds airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS. The crime drama is one of many shows airing new episodes during the midseason.

Thomas Gibson is no longer a married man. The actor, best known for his previous roles in Criminal Minds and Dharma & Greg, has officially gotten divorced from his former partner, Christine Parker. The divorce was finally legalized as of last week, which now makes him a single man in the court of law.

While Gibson and Parker reached a deal agreement some time ago, it took a weirdly long time to be officially signed off. The agreement finds Gibson giving $3,000 in child support a month, and he'll have to pay for their private school and extracurricular activities. Gibson and Parker share three children together, 18-year-old James, 15-year-old Travis and 13-year-old Agatha. He also gets to stay in the family's San Antonio house every other weekend whenever he gets the kids. This information cam from the official the court documents, per TMZ.

The couple actually filed for divorce back in 2014, and they have been in a state of legal limbo during those four years. The two were married back in 1993. The actor tried to keep the divorce a secret, though it grew more public after Gibson was suspended, then let go from Criminal Minds after he reportedly kicked a writer on set. The incident occurred after a creative disagreement between the two escalated. It's worth noting that it was during an episode that Gibson was also directing, which could partially explain why he was hot-headed. He was replaced over a year ago on the CBS series.

Gibson is considered to be a loving and caring father to the three children he shares with his ex-wife. Previously, Gibson talked to People about the difficult process of getting divorced, particularly after there were rumors spreading that the separation was the result of Gibson cheating on his wife in an online relationship with another woman in 2013.

Since departing from Criminal Minds, Gibson's only other credit on his resume is a voice performance in last year's dramatic thriller Axis, directed by Aisha Tyler, which also featured the voice talents of Sam Rockwell, Paget Brewster and Kevin Pollak, to name a handful. It had a limited release back in September. Since then, Gibson has kept a low profile. Hopefully, things start to rebound for him.

Of all the changes that television saw in 2016, from new shows to cancellations to everything in between, one of the biggest (and most heavily decried) was the firing of star Thomas Gibson from the CBS drama Criminal Minds following an on-set altercation with a writer. Since that controversial decision was made, showrunner Erica Messer has basically kept mum regarding the subject, but she has now opened up a bit. Saying no discussions about his return have happened, Messer answered if she would like to have Gibson's Hotch return to the show in the future. Her guarded response:

Let's be real here. While a potential return on the horizon is a nice thought, almost everybody who wants Thomas Gibson to return to Criminal Minds wants it to happen as quickly as possible, and there's not much optimism to be found in Erica Messer's words. If it's not happening in the immediate future, it's not happening this season.

The comparison to Mandy Patinkin is understandable, since they're two cast members that left on disagreeable terms, but it similarly inspires zilch for hope in catching up with Hotch on Criminal Minds. Patinkin memorably left the show in its early seasons, having a major problem with the violent subject matter. That actor clearly didn't want to return, continuing to lambast his own involvement with it, and Criminal Minds eventually killed his character Jason Gideon last year.

But that's not to say Erica Messer and the Criminal Minds creative team will give former Agent Hotch the same treatment. Speaking with TVGuide, her answers concerning Thomas Gibson and his character were genial and profession, seemingly lacking the edge of someone with a major grudge. And she talked at length about how important it was to write the character off in a way that respected him and the fans' love of him. Here, she explains why he wasn't killed off outright on his temporary mission.

So as long as Aaron Hotchner is still alive, under whatever assumed name he's going by, then there's a chance that he could still come back, even if it means having to wait until his son Jack is old enough to drink. But that probably won't stop the #NoHotchNoWatch movement from reneging on their protests.

With new cast members to spare, Criminal Minds airs Wednesday nights on CBS. To see everything else that's starting up soon, check out our midseason finale schedule.

Criminal Minds is one of the longest-running primetime shows on television nowadays, and it's gained a loyal following over the years. Unfortunately, a portion of the fanbase chose to abandon the show in the beginning of Season 12 due to the firing of leading man Thomas Gibson and the subsequent excision of Agent Aaron Hotchner. Gibson's fans have been boycotting the show on social media using the hashtag #NoHotchNoWatch ever since, and now they've found a seasonal way to protest Gibson's absence with a new hashtag for the new year: #CheersThomasGibson2017.

Fans online went so far as to design Hotch-themed calendars for 2017 as a way to celebrate their favorite Criminal Minds character and actor. Thomas Gibson has had a long career in showbiz, so his fans should have plenty of projects to choose from in the #CheersThomasGibson2017 campaign on Twitter. According to the schedule posted on Twitter on Wednesday night, there's still plenty of time to get in on the action.

For some, 2016 was a bad year made even worse by the firing of Thomas Gibson from Criminal Minds. The show isn't showing any signs of pulling a "Gotcha!" by bringing Hotch back just when everybody thought he was gone for good, so it seems that the narrative direction of the series hasn't been affected by the social media storm at this point. Still, folks on Twitter lodging complaints about Criminal Minds doesn't exactly make for positive buzz. Here's just one example of a grievance from a fan using protest hashtags:

Although eight episodes of Criminal Minds have aired since Thomas Gibson was fired, fans online haven't given up on their hashtag efforts, especially after Hotch was officially written out after those first episodes. While no one involved with the show has been so candid about the boycott's effect on the show, the ratings for Season 12 are officially lower than in seasons past. There are plenty of variables that could explain the drops in both viewership and the valuable 18 - 49 demographic, since live TV viewing is down in general, but it's more than possible that the absence of Hotch from Criminal Minds is a reason why fewer folks are tuning in. The shifts in the status quo to compensate for Hotch's departure - i.e. new characters - don't seem to have done the trick in keeping everybody tuning in for the 2016 - 2017 TV season.

All things considered, Hotch is probably not returning to Criminal Minds any time soon, if at all. Thomas Gibson was fired from the series due to an altercation in which he allegedly kicked a writer because he was unhappy with a script, and the incident gained a lot of attention from the media. The show has taken big steps to compensate for Hotch's departure with the return of Paget Brewster and the introduction of a brand new character, and it's unlikely those changes will be reversed to bring Hotch back. Still, kudos to Thomas Gibson's fans for sticking with him even after he was booted from playing the character that many grew to love.

You can catch Hotch-free episodes of Criminal Minds on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Check out our midseason TV premiere schedule to see what you can watch on the small screen in 2017.

Going into Season 12, Criminal Minds experienced its biggest changes yet, with the suspension-turned-firing of Thomas Gibson, and then his subsequent replacing. Gibson was booted from the drama after an altercation with Virgil Williams, the writer of the episode the actor was directing at the time, and Williams has finally opened up with his side of how things went down. Here's how he said it started.

Virgil Williams then stated there was a second altercation that happened between the men, and as the writer was trying to track down the showrunner to figure things out, Thomas Gibson reportedly kicked him in the shin as he walked by. This seems to be as far as it went between them, and though that suspension didn't come immediately, it did quickly change into a termination, ending Gibson's long run on the CBS drama.

During a recent workshop he gave for Ghetto Film School Los Angeles, Virgil Williams gave his side of the story to People, and it most certainly goes against how Thomas Gibson said things happened. The actor claimed he accidentally lifted his leg as Williams was walking past, striking him, and that he apologized for it the next day and everything was settled. But we all know things didn't play out quite so calmly, or else we'd still be watching Hotch on Criminal Minds, and Paget Brewster wouldn't have returned.

The transition hasn't been the easiest for all involved, and Virgil Williams says that writing for the show in the aftermath of Thomas Gibson's firing has come with its own troubles.

Not that Criminal Minds still has all of the viewers it did last year. There has been a subsection of the viewership that has boycotted the show following Gibson's removal, with the hashtag "#NoHotchNoWatch" as the rallying cry. It's unclear if this will continue to be a problem for Criminal Minds, or just a temporary snag.

Currently five episodes into its season, Criminal Minds airs Wednesday nights on CBS. Are you one of the ones still watching, or were you too tethered to Thomas Gibson to continue? Let us know, and in the meantime, check out our fall schedule and midseason schedule to see what's hitting the small screen soon.

Since CBS shocked Criminal Minds fans by firing Thomas Gibson after an on-set incident, most of the chatter has centered around how they would write off his character Aaron Hotchner. After all, the lead actor had appeared in more than 250 episodes, and given the exit occurred after he filmed the first few episodes of the season, there didn't seem to be time for a proper farewell. Well, tonight we finally got our answer, or at least the first part of our answer. His absence was explained with a brief throwaway line, saying he was "on special assignment".

In order to ease the jarring transition, Criminal Minds producers brought back beloved fan favorite Paget Brewster and her character Emily Prentiss. She's the one who tells everyone else she's around temporarily while Hotch, the team lead, is on special assignment, and apart from one other brief reference a few moments later, his departure simply isn't mentioned again.

Now, does that mean he'll just quietly disappear and never be spoken of again? Probably not. The implication of the line during tonight's episode was that he's on a temporary assignment and will return in the future. Had Thomas Gibson merely been suspended, that would make sense. Since his exit is apparently permanent, however, they are going to need to close that door and bring in a new director to actually lead the team. The show has already announced it will bring actor Damon Gupton in starting in episode 8, but there are a lot of rumors a second person will join him at some point, as well.

For most of its more than ten year run, Criminal Minds has coasted along without many negative headlines. Despite its subject matter and more casting shake-ups than average, the show has quietly put up solid ratings and secured lucrative syndication deals. About a month ago, however, Criminal Minds' positive momentum was abruptly halted when an incident occurred on the set. Stories vary on what exactly happened, but everyone seems to agree on the basic gist.

Lead actor Thomas Gibson got into a confrontation with a writer over whether or not his character was repeating himself. The argument escalated, and Gibson either kicked or somehow made contact with the writer. Words were exchanged, and filming was stopped. Because there were allegedly several incidents in the past, CBS made the decision to fire Thomas Gibson, startling fans and deeply polarizing those involved.

Criminal Minds airs on CBS on Wednesday evenings at 9 ET/ 8 CT. Only time will tell whether fans will stick with the show without Aaron Hotchner. Given the show has always been very much an ensemble vehicle, my guess is the majority will stick around. We should know for sure in the coming weeks.

Everybody involved with the BAU is used to seeing some pretty unsettling business on a daily basis but the hit drama's most bothersome moment in the past few months came when star Thomas Gibson was fired following an on-set altercation. The previously discussed plan was to replace Gibson and his unit chief Aaron Hotchner with two different characters, and one of those replacements has just been cast, as Empire and Bates Motel's Damon Gupton has been added to the ensemble as a regular for Season 12.

We'll be waiting a short while to witness Damon Gupton's introduction into the Criminal Minds universe, as the character isn't scheduled to show up until the eighth episode of the season. Gupton will play Special Agent Stephen Walker, who worked counterintelligence within the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Program and is making the jump over to the BAU to utilize his widespread skill set. Gupton has played a cop often enough in his career that this shouldn't be too hard to grasp for him.

As I'm sure you could tell from that description, Damon Gupton won't be taking on the role of the new head of the BAU, and according to Deadline, the game has changed to make only one of those replacements a new character, while the promotion to chief will be earned by someone already working within the unit.That announcement will come at a currently undisclosed time. Fingers crossed there is a bottle episode in which some kind of Office Olympics are held in which everyone in line for the job has to compete. Penelope would totally try destroy the new dude.

Damon Gupton has been all over the small screen in recent years, first getting a big break as a detective in the short-lived NBC crime drama Prime Suspect before later landing gigs as a detective in Empire and a detective in The Player. (He's had other roles, too.) Most recently, he played Norman's doctor in Season 4 of Bates Motel, and can be seen in the feature La La Land, with an upcoming role in Billy Bob Thornton's Amazon drama Goliath.

Thomas Gibson appeared in the Season 12 premiere this week, having already filmed that episode before the altercation that got him sent out the door. It remains to be seen what will happen on the show for Hotch as far as any sort of closure goes, especially after seeing his name used in such a haunting way. It's a shame that this had to happen to such a stand-up character, but I doubt audiences will be disappointed once Damon Gupton shows up as Agent Stephen Walker. The guy is smooth as silk butter.

With its cast looking less and less like the one that was around in the very beginning, Criminal Minds airs Wednesday nights on CBS. To see when all the other shows left to debut are coming, head to our fall TV schedule.

It has been a few weeks since news from the set of Criminal Minds indicated series lead Thomas Gibson reportedly kicked a writer on the set. The actor was subsequently suspended from the CBS drama and then fired following the event, and while he's spoken out with warmth about his previous gig, he's finally coming out to explain his side of the story. Apparently, after Thomas Gibson and fellow writer Virgil Williams couldn't get on the same page about a particular scene, Gibson went to another room to chat with his fellow actors. The writer followed him in and the following altercation occurred, according to the actor:

Obviously, we have only heard Thomas Gibson's side of the story at this point, but when word of the alleged kick came out, the news spread everywhere, and quickly. After reviewing the sequence of events, Gibson was removed from the set as part of a suspension, but that suspension quickly turned into a decision to fire the actor, who had been with the series since its inception.

Thomas Gibson also told People that the fight between himself and Williams was over a line that Gibson felt didn't make sense within in the context of the episode they were shooting. It's such a minor thing to get into a tiff over and what followed quickly changed the course of the actor's life. Or as he put it:

The former Criminal Minds actor has already done a lot to put himself out there after the incident. He joined social media for the first time to try and sell the fact that he's really a good guy and ready to get back to work. The actor made it through numerous seasons on Chicago Hope, Dharma and Greg and then Criminal Minds without having any major problems that were then leaked to the press, so there's no reason to believe that he couldn't keep hold a longterm gig in the future. That is, if another major TV series wants to hire him.

For now, Thomas Gibson should briefly be a part of Season 12 of Criminal Minds before his character is erased...err... written off of the show. The plan is to have Paget Brewster step in after he leaves. You can catch new episodes of Criminal Minds starting on Wednesday, September 28 at 9 p.m. ET. To find out when the rest of your fall favorites are returning, check out our TV premiere schedule.

Criminal Minds had quite a hectic year, with the creative team dealing with several of the biggest casting shake-ups in the hit drama's eleven-year history. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the bunch came with the termination of actor Thomas Gibson following a behind-the-scenes altercation. No one would have blamed fans for thinking Gibson's Agent Aaron Hotchner would be completely absent from Season 12, but he will indeed appear in two of those earliest episodes, as seen in the season premiere image below.

Whoever is on the other end of that phone call doesn't appear to be saying anything too amusing. Season 12 is kicking off in a particularly hectic way, as last season's finale cliffhanger blew open the doors for the narrative, letting loose a sizable group of serial killers (and previously captured unsubs) out into the world at large, under the guidance of one Mr. Scratch. While some of the killers have been caught in the between-season interim, several are still on the lam, and the BAU will definitely need all hands on deck when the show returns. I just hope that everyone else is okay with two of those hands only being around temporarily.

Thankfully for all involved, there was already a new team member coming into the show via CSI: Miami vet Adam Rodriguez's Agent Luke Alvez, a former Army ranger whose tracking skills make him a real asset for the BAU. You can see most of Criminal Minds' main team below, though it won't be that way for very long.

Criminal Minds, which brought Rodriguez in to replace Shemar Moore, obviously had more shoes to fill after Thomas Gibson was fired, a situation that occurred following an argument Gibson had with an episode writer during one episode's filming, which led to Gibson kicking the writer. (When he was only suspended, showrunner Erica Messer revealed the character would be going on another mission to explain the actor's absence, and it's assumed something similar will be used here.) To ease that transition, the show convinced actress Paget Brewster to return full-time as Emily Prentiss, and the creative team will be capitalizing on Aisha Tyler's promotion to series regular as Dr. Tara Lewis. As well, expect another lead character or two to get introduced in the early part of the season.

Criminal Minds will make its Season 12 debut on CBS on Wednesday, September 28, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see when the rest of your most anticipated series will be returning, check out our fall TV schedule.

When Criminal Minds came to a close in Season 11, the conversations fans were having revolved around that crazy cliffhanger and all of the unsubs released back into the world. Now, everything is centered on the seemingly abrupt ousting of actor (and episode director) Thomas Gibson, and how that incident played out. Thankfully, the show's creative team is hard at work figuring out a way to fill such a massive void, and they're apparently doing so by introducing two new characters to balance the #HotchBotch.

This is coming through the grapevine and isn't a direct memo from the BAU, so things might change, but the plan is to cast two actors/actresses for series regular roles, so we'd be seeing quite a bit of them. In fact, TVLine reports one of those new characters is being considered as a replacement for Aaron Hotchner as the unit chief. No promoting from within, apparently, so it's possible this character will also be in the 45-55 age range. Hard to gauge anything about the other one, sadly.

Landing another actor to replace Thomas Gibson was an imminent move for the production team, but it's a surprise to hear they could double down on that decision. After all, longtime fans will already be dealing with the adjustment of Adam Rodriguez's Agent Alvez as a replacement for Derek Morgan, since actor Shemar Moore exited the drama last season. Not that it's hard to get used to new TV characters, but we're also getting Aisha Tyler back, and Paget Brewster is also returning for a temporary (but hopefully more permanent) stint in Season 12. These two potential newbs better be interesting immediately if they want to stand out.

This will be good news for two actors out there in Hollywood, but there has been no optimism-inducing announcements for Thomas Gibson. The actor was fired after getting into an on-set altercation with an episode writer that resulted in Gibson kicking the writer. This opened up a hornet's nest of rumors concerning Gibson's angry behavior on the show in the past, which landed him in anger management some years back. The actor has said he wants to bring some kind of a lawsuit against those responsible for his termination, but that likely won't go well for him.

Now, the biggest question in our minds is how Agent Hotchner is going to be written out of the show. When Gibson was only suspended prior to his firing, it was revealed the show would write him away on an assignment, but if the character is gone for good, we might get a more interesting fictional explanation out of showrunner Erica Messer.

Possibly with a couple of new faces around, Criminal Minds will return to CBS for Season 12 on Wednesday, September 28, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see when everything else is coming to the small screen later this year, check out our fall premiere schedule.

A lot of people have been talking about Thomas Gibson's shocking exit from Criminal Minds late last week. Part of the reason the drama has continued to be brought up is because the former CBS actor has reportedly been talking about taking the series and its parent studio ABC to court. He's already met with lawyers, but there may not be an easy fix. There are myriad reasons for why a lawsuit may not work out in his favor.

According to an analyst who spoke with Deadline, Thomas Gibson will face some major hurdles if he wants to work out this Criminal Minds dispute in court. The actor will need to prove he was let go "for no good reason," according to the outlet. Considering that Thomas Gibson was fired after an altercation with a writer that allegedly led to him kicking said writer, the studio could explain away his firing in a few different ways. He would also have trouble tying his firing to "gender, race, age or religion," which makes his case even more difficult, as well.

What initially seems to have happened was that Thomas Gibson was pulling double duty on the set of Criminal Minds. He was both directing in and acting in an episode of the hit series, when he and writer Virgil Williams got into an argument. While we don't know exactly what happened between the writer and the actor, the exchange grew heated and Thomas Gibson allegedly chose to kick Williams. He was suspended from the set of Criminal Minds and was subsequently fired by ABC Studios, which produces the CBS drama.

Both Williams and Gibson have reportedly had problems on set before last week's big altercation. Thomas Gibson was mentioned as having verbal altercations with some cast members in a separate 2014 lawsuit. Virgil Williams allegedly had an issue on set years ago when he was still working on ER. Obviously, if any sort of lawsuit moves forward, the allegations could get ugly. So not only would Gibson have to prove that he was let go for no reason, he may have to put himself out there in a way that he may not want to do.

Thomas Gibson has kept his cool in the days following the firing, which is about the opposite of what you would expect from a guy who joined Twitter soon after the incident occurred. However, since his salary was so high and ABC Studios already made a final decision on the matter, we're not really sure what a lawsuit could change, other than a payout of some sort. For now, Criminal Minds is still moving forward and is expected to hit the schedule next month. Thomas Gibson will even be in the first couple of episodes before his absence is explained on the series. You can catch new episodes when fall TV returns on Wednesday, September 28 at 9 p.m. ET.

Test your own knowledge regarding Criminal Minds here.

After a whirlwind week that saw him suspended and then fired from Criminal Minds, actor Thomas Gibson has found a way to make sure his side of the story stays at the forefront. He's using social media to speak out, joining Twitter yesterday. In fact, Thomas Gibson made quick use of the service to thank Criminal Minds fans and his supporters for sticking by him during what must be a difficult time for the actor. He also made a point to clarify what his firing means, to him, at least. Here's some of what he had to say:

It would, seemingly, take a really cool headed person to get fired and see that as an ending and a beginning. Especially when your temper is what got you in trouble in the first place. Thomas Gibson, of course, found himself in his current vat of hot water because he got into a heated discussion with Criminal Minds writer Virgil Williams while acting in and directing a Season 12 episode of the series. That discussion led to Gibson completely losing his cool and kicking Williams in the leg, which, last week, got the actor released from his contract. It is true that this is the beginning of something new for Gibson; he'd been a member of the main cast of Criminal Minds for the entire run of the series.

While it's true that he should be able to find gainful employment soon, it's also true that this is actually the second time his temper led him down a bad path while on the show. His first offense, which was a few years ago, saw him pushing a producer on set and having to go to anger management counseling. So, it might take a while for Gibson to secure another gig when he has a reputation as a hothead.

Of course, instead of talking about the next job he might get, Thomas Gibson could be referring to the fact that he, reportedly, retained the services of a big time law firm to help him see what legal action he could take against his former bosses. It would certainly be a new beginning for Gibson, and Criminal Minds, if he either sued his way back onto the show, or secured a whopping settlement from the producers and/or studio behind the show. Speaking of that potential legal action, I'm a bit surprised that his lawyer is OK with him taking to Twitter with anything about his firing, since once those in the legal profession are retained, they tend to tell their clients to zip it where the case is concerned.

Well, so far Thomas Gibson has said all the right, professional things regarding his very public ouster from Criminal Minds, and only time will tell if he continues to keep his cool on the matter. We'll keep you up to date on the story as more details become available. For now, you can check out what Thomas Gibson is doing on social media here.

Who knew that some of the most compelling Criminal Minds drama would take place behind the scenes of the long-running series? The show captured headlines in recent days with the sudden termination of actor Thomas Gibson's contract, and the situation has continued to move into progressively odd territory. Now it seems that the affair might soon become quite a bit more complicated, as Gibson has apparently considered taking legal action.

A new report from THR indicates that actor Thomas Gibson is currently considering taking CBS to court over his recent termination from the crime series, Criminal Minds. In the last few days, he has apparently hired a prominent Los Angeles based law firm, and together they have begun exploring his legal options as well as the proper action that he can potentially take against the network. At this point there is no confirmation that he will actually sue the network or the Criminal Minds producers, but it seems that he hasn't closed the door on that as a possible option either. This situation just gets weirder and weirder by the day.

For those of you that haven't kept yourselves up to date on this matter, Thomas Gibson recently found himself terminated from his contract on the CBS drama Criminal Minds under some fairly bizarre circumstances. On Friday the actor reportedly was fired by the network following a physical altercation on the set, during which he apparently kicked one of the show's writers. Gibson has publicly addressed the incident and expressed remorse for not being able to see the show to its conclusion, but stopped short of specifically apologizing for the altercation in question.

This wouldn't be the first time that an actor has considered taking legal action against a network or studio over termination from a particular series. Charlie Sheen similarly filed legal action against CBS when his feud with the network and writer-producer Chuck Lorre resulted in him being forced out of his Two And A Half Men contract in 2011. Sheen's case was based on the grounds that his termination caused him to lose out on potential future employment opportunities. Actress Nicollette Sheridan is also currently in the midst of an ongoing legal battle with ABC over her departure form Desperate Housewives. Although it remains unclear whether or not Gibson will press forward with this legal decision, there's still a very clear precedent for such action.

It seems that this situation continues to move in strange and unexpected ways. We will bring you any and all relevant updates related to the Thomas Gibson/Criminal Minds affair as more information becomes available to us. For now, make sure to check out our comprehensive fall TV premiere schedule and mark your calendars accordingly. Stay tuned for more details!

In the past 48 hours, I'm pretty sure Thomas Gibson's name has been said more times than it has in the past 48 months, as the actor is at the center of a very public ousting from the hit CBS drama Criminal Minds, on which he's been a star for the past eleven seasons. As you might imagine, Gibson himself had something to say about the calamitous situation, but you might not imagine that he would take the highest road possible on the issue. Here's the statement he put out there.

Power to Thomas Gibson for keeping his emotions in check over what is possibly the biggest setback in his career, especially considering it was his anger that got him in trouble in the first place. It is, of course, entirely possible that the coming weeks will see the actor loosening his lips about his side of the story and getting more candid about how things went down. (That's assuming there's more dirty laundry that what's already been aired out.) But the best decision to make in the immediate aftermath is just what he did in his statement, as reported by Deadline: take the hit and show appreciation for having had a steady gig for over a decade.

The incident in question occurred a couple of weeks ago, on the set of a Season 12 episode that Thomas Gibson was directing, but it was only in the last day or two that the news started spreading around. Apparently, Gibson had an issue that he took up with the episode's writer Virgil Williams, and things allegedly took a negative turn, with Gibson getting so worked up that he kicked Williams. While it's not clear what went on in the interim, the show suspended Gibson, but apparently it was decided that wasn't harsh enough, and he was officially fired from the show earlier today.

At this point, it isn't clear how Criminal Minds is going to handle getting Hotch written out of the story, which is going to be huge in Season 12, as there are a handful of those escaped serial killers still out there causing hell. When it was just a suspension, Hotch would presumably have taken an assignment elsewhere for a couple of episodes, but we'll probably see something far more permanent happen now that he's out for good. Will Hotch end up being one of the killers' victims?

With Agent Hotchner no longer a part of the crew, Criminal Minds will definitely be welcoming back Emily Prentiss with open arms for its return to CBS for Season 12 on Wednesday, September 28, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see when everything else is coming to the smalls screen later this year, check out our fall TV schedule.

Wow. We'd only just heard the hit CBS drama Criminal Minds might be dealing with the recent suspension of star Thomas Gibson by giving his character Agent Hotchner a temporary assignment elsewhere for a couple of episodes. But apparently that won't be the case at all, as the actor has reportedly been completely fired from the show, and Hotch will not be around to take on the unsubs when the show returns this fall.

So that means not only will Thomas Gibson not be around in front of the character as Hotchner, but he also won't be making any decisions behind the scenes. He has directed multiple episodes of Criminal Minds in the past, and he was indeed directing the most recent episode when the controversy happened. Here's how CBS Studios and ABC Studios announced the somewhat shocking decision, according to EW.

The damning incident took place recently as a Season 12 episode was being filmed. Thomas Gibson-as-director apparently had an issue with the episode's writer (who was on the set), but instead of a calm discussion between the pair, things got heated and at one point Gibson lashed out and angrily kicked the writer. Afterward, Gibson said it came down to "creative differences" and voiced his regrets, but that just wasn't enough to convince anyone that he should keep his job.

It's definitely worth noting that this isn't the first time the actor had an altercation like this. A few years ago, Gibson reportedly pushed a producer, which landed him in anger management counseling, although he didn't miss any work over it. This is somewhat similar to what happened with Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear, which also ended in a termination. Here's hoping no one starts getting litigious in this case.

Things are going to be completely out of sort when Criminal Minds comes back. Not only will we no longer have Shemar Moore's Derek Morgan to root for, but Mr. Scratch is back with his gang of escaped serial killers, and the team kind of needs as many agents as they can get at this point. Luckily, we know Aisha Tyler will be returning as a series regular, and we can expect to see another familiar face returning when Paget Brewster's Emily Prentiss stops by. Here's hoping we get news soon that Brewster will be back full-time.

Criminal Minds, with its casting shakeup, will return to CBS for Season 12 on Wednesday, September 28, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see when everything else is coming back, check out our fall TV schedule.

*UPDATE: *It appears that rather than just dealing with a suspension, Thomas Gibson has reportedly been fired from Criminal Minds altogether, according to EW, and will not be back when Season 12 premieres. The original story is below.

Yesterday, news broke that Criminal Minds actor Thomas Gibson had been suspended from the long-running CBS series following an altercation with a writer on the show. Currently, the actor has only been suspended for a few weeks on the series, but since production is already underway, Gibson will definitely be missing in action during episodes of Criminal Minds during Season 12. Agent Hotchner will be written out in the easiest way possible, however. New reports indicate that the character will be taking a "temporary duty" elsewhere while Thomas Gibson sits out his suspension.

The good news is that fans might not miss Agent Hotchner as much as we normally might. Thomas Gibson had already filmed two episodes of Criminal Minds before he allegedly kicked a producer on the set, and he won't be out of commission until Episode 3. TV Guide reports that Paget Brewster's Emily Prentiss is actually going to return to the show during Episode 3. She's taking on a new role as recurring guest star on the series.

For a while, Derek Morgan was team lead in place of Agent Hotchner, so this won't be the first time the character hasn't been around to lead the team. However, now that Shemar Moore is also out on the series, I wonder if Agent Rossi or even Agent Prentiss will be stepping up to take on the role. Whatever happens, it might even end up being an interesting change of pace for Criminal Minds.

If only it wasn't coming on the heels of a suspension for Thomas Gibson. Reports the other day even mentioned that because the show writer worked through HR to resolve the conflict, it could prove to be a long-term problem for the Criminal Minds actor. His role with the show is currently under scrutiny.

For his part, Thomas Gibson has been pulled from directing the future Criminal Minds episodes he was signed on for, which is how the altercation occurred in the first place. He's also already publicly spoken out, noting that he regrets the incident that occurred and that he will continue to put in team effort in the future on Criminal Minds.

Hopefully, this will just end up being a blip in Criminal Minds history, but we'll keep you updated as the story related to Thomas Gibson's suspension unfolds. Criminal Minds will return to CBS on Wednesday, September 28 at 9 p.m. ET. For more fall TV premiere dates, head here.

We occasionally hear about altercations that occur on sets. However, we were still stunned to hear this morning that Criminal Minds veteran Thomas Gibson has been suspended from the CBS drama for the next two weeks. The reason? Reports from the set indicate that Thomas Gibson actually kicked a writer during a scene Gibson was both directing and acting in. Yes, kicked one of the writers. He didn't punch or slap the writer, he kicked him.

Apparently, the currently unnamed writer and Thomas Gibson got into a tiff over the creative direction of the episode. Since Gibson was also directing the episode, things probably got more heated than they may have otherwise. TMZ says at one point Thomas Gibson just "exploded" and kicked the writer in the leg. I'd really like to know what that writer could have possibly said that would make someone want to kick him in the leg, not that kicking someone is ever an appropriate response.

Of course, after the outburst things allegedly escalated. The writer then got his agent involved and it became a huge HR nightmare. Now Thomas Gibson is reportedly suspended for two weeks. He'll be written out of the episodes that are expected to shoot---I guess maybe his character will take some time to spend with his son? He has also been reportedly cut from Season 12 directing gigs on the series.

Deadline also says that Thomas Gibson's future might be more dire than the two week suspension. If that's actually true, it could be very bad news for Criminal Minds. The show has already been on the air for more than a decade and has lost a slew of cast members during that time. However, the drama has been able to keep trucking because a few of the main cast members---like Thomas Gibson---have stuck around. Losing the actor would most certainly be a big blow. Gibson, for his part, has already basically come out and apologized:

In a lot of ways this situation mirrors the Top Gear situation, when Jeremy Clarkson punched a producer after getting riled up. In that case, though, Clarkson had prior issues while working for the BBC. He was eventually fired from the series, but if things don't escalate any further, maybe Thomas Gibson won't have the same fate. Or maybe we'll be seeing him on Amazon in a year or so...

While we wait to hear what Criminal Minds decides to do about this predicament, new episodes of the long-running CBS drama are expected to hit the schedule on Wednesday, September 28 at 9 p.m. ET. You can check out when the rest of your favorite shows are returning with our fall TV premiere schedule.

Criminal Minds’ Thomas Gibson is going to have to get into his own psyche to figure out his recent criminal flub. Before you get all hot and bothered assuming the actor had something to do with a serious crime, the Los Angeles police actually took Gibson into custody under suspicion of driving while intoxicated, which could lead to an official DUI write-up and plenty of hassle in the court.

Apparently, Gibson was driving in downtown Los Angeles when he encountered a roadblock set up for a half marathon in the city. Normally, when people encounter roadblocks they will simply turn around and take a separate route, but according to reports from TMZ and other outlets, Gibson opted to drive through the area sectioned off for the overnight marathon. Luckily, this occurred at 1 a.m. PST, well past the time the race, which started at 9 p.m. PST, had been run in the area, but the action was still wild enough to warrant a police pullover.

After getting stopped by police, the officers smelled alcohol on the 50-year-old’s breath and asked him to take a breathalyzer test, which didn’t go over so well with the man who spends his days working as a fictional criminal analyst on CBS. Thus, police were forced to haul him into the police station and book him at the Los Angeles Central Jail under suspicion that he was driving after drinking. His bail was set at a whopping $15,000, but according to E!, the TV star made bail and left the police station at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Pop Blend will keep you posted if more news relating to this story breaks.

Two weeks before production is set to begin, Thomas Gibson has declared he will, in fact, return to Criminal Minds. If you read Mack’s article a few weeks ago, you know how big this deal is. For weeks, there was glitch after glitch as Gibson, who plays Agent Hotchner on the show, declined to sign a new contract and writers grew more edgy as production dates edged closer and no story arcs could be written.

All the waiting paid off -- for Gibson at least -- as Deadline is reporting Hotch has signed on for two more years. His new salary, which lands somewhere in the seven-figure range, will more than double what he made in contracts past. I guess he’s a real hot commodity, because there were rumors when the two Criminal Minds leading ladies were first curbed from their roles, high salary costs were the main reason.

I’m not sure if anyone ever really believed Thomas Gibson would leave the show. He’s still been responsible for recent press junkets and the like. Still, Criminal Minds writers, who have been at the drawing board for over a month, doubtless could have used an earlier okay-go from CBS and Gibson. Maybe they’ll write in something really gruesome as payback. Although, they’ve already taken the liberty to kill off Hotchner’s wife. How much more can one man take?

In recent weeks, Criminal Minds has taken two big steps forward with the resignings of Paget Brewster and AJ Cook, but sadly, that positive mojo hasn't extended to CBS' negotiations with one of the other principal cast members. Special Agent Aaron Hotchner aka Hotch aka Thomas Gibson still does not have a contract for next season, and while good money still speculates an agreement will be reached, the delay is starting to cause problems with the writing staff.

According to Deadline, the scribes' annual summer preparatory meetings began last week, and without confirmation of Gibson's return, they're having trouble making any forward progress on the story lines for next season. It's not an issue with the individual episodes themselves so much as a problem with the show's overarching direction. Lines like, “Work up a profile on the unsub” can be given to him later, but dynamics between the cast members must be worked out as a team in advance. If he doesn't come back, then someone needs to take his job. That would alter the power balance, which would alter everyone's relationships.

Even without his deal in place, Gibson still presented at CBS' upfronts and met with foreign buyers. He's clearly looking to come back. It would just be better for everyone involved if that announcement came sooner rather than later.

Once one of the more stable franchises on television, Criminal Minds has been in complete and utter disarray over the last year. Its spin-off Suspect Behavior tanked miserably en route to a cancellation, and the decision to minimize and then ultimately cut out AJ Cook and Paget Brewster was widely maligned by fans. Now in an effort to return to that previous stability, the show has announced Paget Brewster will be back. The news comes just a month and a half after Criminal Minds extended an invite to AJ Cook, meaning both leading females will work in the behavior analysis unit next season.

According to Deadline, the reunion is bad news for recent signee Rachel Nichols. Her Ashley Seaver character started appearing regularly last season, but after failing to connect with the fan base, she’s out.

Sometimes change can be good for a long tenured show, but too much change all at once doesn’t always fly, especially where major characters are concerned. Both Cook and Brewster were beloved by fans, and as much as this might seem like a backtrack, it’s still ultimately a step back in the right direction.

Of course, all of this return to the glory years talk is moot if producers can’t agree on a contract with lead Thomas Gibson. The two sides have been in negotiations for sometime, but until now, those talks haven’t materialized. It’s a good bet he, like Cook and Brewster, will return, but the sooner that’s finalized, the sooner the writers can start carving out scripts for next season.