'Criminal Minds' season 12 news, updates: Writer Virgil Williams finally breaks silence on physical altercation with Thomas Gibson and writing off Hotch
After being involved in an on-set physical altercation with actor Thomas Gibson, longtime "Criminal Minds" writer/co-executive producer Virgil Williams finally gave his side of the story.
Williams recently visited the Ghetto Film School Los Angeles to host an interactive workshop for students aspiring to work in the entertainment industry. During the workshop, he was asked about the altercation that led to Gibson's permanent dismissal from "Criminal Minds." According to Williams, the conflict stemmed from a professional disagreement between him and the actor. "He came to me with a line change that he wanted," Williams said (via People). "I felt that change would have hurt the story, but I offered him [an alternative] fix. He didn't accept the fix and walked off."
Shortly after having another heated argument with Gibson, the writer said that Gibson kicked him in the shin as he walked past him. Williams—who openly admitted that he himself once got suspended for raising his voice—added that even though Gibson created a "hostile work environment" for everyone on set, he will still miss the actor's character. "[The fans] got to watch him, but I got to write him," Williams continued.
In the series, Hotch is currently away to work on a special assignment for the FBI Director. When asked by a student how difficult it was for him to write off a major character from the story, Williams admitted it wasn't a walk in the park. "It was very abrupt," he explained. "But we tried to do it seamlessly and move on. We're going to keep moving forward and we're going to keep telling great stories."
It was previously rumored that "Criminal Minds" will be introducing a new character to replace Gibson's Hotch as the BAU chief, but the series' execs have yet to comment on the show's casting.
Catch all-new episodes of "Criminal Minds" season 12 every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.
