When Thomas Gibson was unceremoniously fired from "Criminal Minds" Season 12, fans were angered and started a Twitter protest that could affect future episodes of the show. His firing has even caused some fans to call for a boycott of the TV series. This negatively affected the show's ratings. What are the producers going to do now?

Gibson Was Booted Out After Playing The Lead Role For 12 Years

Thomas Gibson played the lead role of Agent Aaron Hotchner in "Criminal Minds" for 12 years. Now, he was abruptly fired in "Criminal Minds" Season 12 presumably because he kicked Virgil Williams, a writer of the show, after a heated argument. Gibson's brawl with Williams was his first physical altercation, but the second he had with a showrunner.

He was previously suspended, and consequently not seen on two previous episodes of "Criminal Minds" Season 12. This time, the showrunners have officially axed the actor from the TV series. Fans were upset by Gibson's firing and took to Twitter to show their disapproval. They came up with hashtags such as #WeSupportThomasGibson, #SupportThomas Gibson, #ThankYouThomasGibson, and #ThomasGibson to show their disappointment and anger on his axing.

Is Gibson Filing A Lawsuit?

A report indicated that Gibson is now planning to file a lawsuit against the show's producers. The report also stated that he was directing the episode when the unfortunate incident happened. He subsequently filed his complaint to Human Resources. An alternative director replaced Gibson on the set. Gibson was initially suspended, but the decision was later changed to a discharge.

The kicking incident was presumably caused by disagreements and creative differences on the set. He later said that he regretted the incident happened. The showrunners of "Criminal Minds" Season 12 are now hatching a story plot for the exit story of Gibson's character. How will the fans take it if they won't see Gibson anymore in "Criminal Minds" Season 12?