‘Criminal Minds’ Fans ‘Angry’ & ‘Livid’ Over Thomas Gibson’s Firing, Threaten To Boycott

Thomas Gibson was just fired from Criminal Minds, and it’s safe to say that fans are less than pleased.

A slew of fans took to social media to vent their frustrations over the news that Thomas, who has been with the drama since it first began, had been fired, with many even threatening to boycott the 12th season of the CBS show in protest.

“@CrimMinds_CBS I am driven to boycott the show due to the firing of Thomas Gibson. He was the driving force,” @WSpelling tweeted out after it was revealed that Gibson would not be continuing on with the series, while Twitter user @boxerboi1971 wrote, “Bring back Thomas or shut it down!!! #boycott_criminalminds #boycott_cbs #fightfor_thomasgibson.”

“NO! I’ll boycott #CriminalMinds,” Criminal Minds fan @Gr8LakesCzarina added.

Another social media user even encouraged Thomas’s now former Criminal Minds castmates to boycott the show unless Gibson’s job is reinstated.

“The entire cast should quit in boycott unless they un-fire Thomas,” @hurricxne claimed.

But as some fans threatened to boycott Criminal Minds following the announcement that Gibson had been fired, others took to Twitter to vent their frustrations, revealing that they were “livid” and “angry” over the news.

“Literally Gibson/Hotch is one of the MOST important characters on @CrimMinds_CBS. I’m livid,” @krystaldoh vented, and @soph_mariana wrote on the social media site, “THOMAS WAS FIRED FROM CRIMINAL MINDS WHATS NEXT KILLING REID OFF??? WHERE DOES IT END???? IM SO ANGRY.”

“I cannot believe Thomas got fired from Criminal Minds I am livid. What am I going to do now?????” @BFlowInSpace added.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that Gibson, who played Aaron Hotchner on the drama since it first began in 2005, had been fired from Criminal Minds prior to the boycott call on August 12, revealing that ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios had confirmed Thomas had been fired amid filming for Season 12 in a joint statement.

“Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from Criminal Minds,” the statement from the two studios read. “Creative details for how the character’s exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date.”

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Though the statement did not go into details about exactly why Gibson had been fired, the site claimed that his permanent dismissal came after he allegedly kicked a writer on the Criminal Minds set.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the incident occurred after Thomas “had a dispute” with a writer on set during filming for Season 12, as a source alleged that Gibson “instinctively reacted to aggression” and kicked the writer.

Exactly where Thomas allegedly kicked his co-worker is yet to be confirmed, and it is not yet known if the altercation lead to any substantial injuries.

After it was announced that he had been fired, Gibson issued his own statement about the incident, in which he admitted that he “regrets” what happened on set.

“There were creative differences on the set and a disagreement,” Gibson told E! News. confirming that he had been fired. “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.”

“I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last twelve years. I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won’t be possible now,” continued Thomas. “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 do you think of fans threatening to boycott Criminal Minds following Thomas Gibson’s firing?

[Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters]