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:
I wish I could thank each of you for your friendship & support. I love Criminal Minds, & I'm disappointed by what's happened. I'm here on Twitter so we can stay connected in the days to come, and talk directly with each other. The support you show means the world to me and my family. This is not an ending, but a beginning as well. Thank you all.
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.
