Criminal Minds was one of the creepiest criminal procedurals in television history. That’s because the show was about more than just catching the bad guy: it was also about figuring out how he thinks. That means the show took us to some pretty dark places as it got us into the heads of TV’s creepiest fictional villains.
However, did you know that some of the people creating this fiction were pretty villainous in real life? Over the years, Criminal Minds has had some major scandals involving both the talent behind the camera and the lovable stars in front of the camera. And after learning about them, you may never be able to look at this show the same, ever again.
Just what kind of scandals are we talking about? Keep reading to learn everything you want to know!
Thomas Gibson was forced out of the show due to violence
One of the main stars of Criminal Minds (especially after Mandy Patinkin left) was Thomas Gibson. He played Hotchner, a character who was a natural leader thanks to his even temper and reasonable nature. That’s why it was so shocking when he got kicked off the show for allegedly having a violent altercation with one of the producers!
In 2016, Entertainment Weekly reported that Gibson had kicked a writer/producer, resulting in his immediate dismissal from the show. Later, Gibson shared his version of the incident. As reported by Vanity Fair, he said, “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.”
That sounds fairly innocent, but Thomas Gibson had previously been sent to anger management after verbally abusing people on set and even shoving an assistant director. So no matter how innocent (or not so innocent) the kicking incident was, this was the third and final strike for an otherwise beloved author. And that meant he was out, forever changing the landscape of Criminal Minds.
The Biggest Scandals of Criminal Minds
