After Thomas Gibson was fired from Criminal Minds on Friday because of an on-set altercation, many wondered what Gibson would do since he was still under contract with the show. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gibson has hired Skip Miller, a prominent Hollywood attorney, to represent him should he want to take any legal action against the show.
A formal investigation by human resources is underway to look into what caused the fight between Gibson and Virgil Williams, one of the co-executive producers of the show. The Hollywood Reporter has said that members of the cast and crew are supporting Williams through the investigation.
If legal action against the show and the studio does happen, the stars of the show and the cast members could be called in to testify in a trial.
The situation certainly recalls Charlie Sheen’s lawsuit against Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre after he was fired from Two and a Half Men in 2011 after his public meltdown. ABC Studios, who co-owns the show with CBS, is also embroiled in appeals between Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry and former star Nicolette Sheridan.
After Gibson was released from his contract, details about his relationship with his co-workers began to come out from the set. Variety reported that Gibson and Shemar Moore, who left the show in the middle of the 11th season, had a tense relationship that stemmed from Moore showing up late for shoots and Gibson wanting to run a tight ship so he could travel back and forth from Los Angeles, where Criminal Minds is shot, and San Antonio, where he lives with his family.
The altercation with Williams was also Gibson’s third strike in the last six years. In 2010, he shoved assistant director Ian Woolf and was ordered to attend anger management classes. In 2013, he was charged with a DUI and had his license suspended and ended up relying on members of the cast and crew to drive him to and from set. And the third strike came Thursday after kicking Williams.
It’s also been reported that Gibson’s mood could change drastically on set, where one day he could be happy and the next day he could lash out unexpectedly.
Criminal Minds has its 12th season premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. Gibson will appear in the first two episodes of the show and then will be written out. There’s no word about what will happen with Gibson’s character.