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:
He came into that room and started coming towards me. As he brushed past me, my foot came up and tapped him on the leg. If I hadn't moved, he would have run into me. We had some choice words, for which I apologized the next day, and that was it. It was over. We shot the scene, I went home -- and I never got to go back.
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:
I feel like it took years to make a good reputation and a minute to damage it... It seems like they're trying to erase me from the show. That hurts.
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.
