The Real Reason Thomas Gibson Was Fired From ‘Criminal Minds’ After 12 Years As Agent Hotchner
His character was beloved for 12 seasons. Then one on-set incident changed everything in an instant.
Criminal Minds is one of the most iconic primetime procedural shows of all time. With 18 seasons and counting, the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) truly has kept viewers entertained for nearly two decades. With that success comes a lot of questions, namely surrounding why certain cast members left. Most of them, like Shemar Moore, did so to pursue other opportunities, but others, like Thomas Gibson, had a much more dramatic exit. We share what really went on behind-the-scenes, and why Gibson actually left the show below.
A look at why Thomas Gibson left ‘Criminal Minds’
For 258 episodes, Gibson brought the stoic, smart and stubborn Special Agent Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner to life. He was a fan favorite character, and is whom most people think of when they think of the show’s memorable moments—particularly the scene where he’s on the phone listening to his wife get murdered while his son hides in the next room.
Because of that, Gibson’s abrupt departure in the middle of Season 12 came as a pretty big shock for fans, especially after it was announced that his absence was a result of a physical altercation with show writer Virgil Williams. Initially, the absence was only supposed to be for a few episodes, but after several meetings, it was made permanent.
“Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from Criminal Minds,” ABC Studios and CBS TV said in a joint statement back in 2016. “Creative details for how the character’s exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date.”
Gibson did comment on the alteration after it happened, telling Deadline that “there were creative differences on the set and a disagreement. I regret that it occurred. We all want to work together as a team to make the best show possible. We always have and we always will.”
Following that, the actor sat down with People magazine to share exactly what happened on the day he was let go.
“We were shooting a scene late one night when I went to Virgil and told him there was a line that I thought contradicted an earlier line. He said, ‘Sorry, it’s necessary, and I absolutely have to have it,’” the actor said, per US weekly. “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.”
Prior to this incident, Gibson had had other violent moments on set, including an incident in 2010 in which he hit assistant director Ian Woolf, which resulted in him going to anger management therapy.
Gibson also had a driving under the influence (DUI) arrest on his record, which is believed to have played a part in his eventual release.
“I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last 12 years. I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won’t be possible now,” Gibson told US Weekly in 2016. “I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have.”
What Thomas Gibson has been up to since ‘Criminal Minds’
Since leaving Criminal Minds, Gibson has continued to act in projects like Axis (2017) and Shadow Wolves (2019). He is 63 years old and has three kids, whom he shares with his ex-wife Christine.
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