Scandals That Ensured Actors Were Written Out of Their Own Shows

One bad scandal or moment can destroy an actor's career, even booting them out of popular shows. It doesn't matter if the actor was loved in the role; if they break a rule or get into some kind of public disturbance, producers will want them out. Not all publicity is good publicity.

Depending on the scandal, TV producers and writers have written out entire characters from the show. They've also recast them, which can feel odd for viewers who just saw three seasons' worth of episodes with a specific actor.

For this slideshow, 24/7 Tempo searched online for entertainment and news sources detailing shocking scandals that led to actors being taken out of their roles.

• TV Show: "One Day at a Time"
• Character: Julie Cooper Horvath

Producers would rather not work with emotional and erratic actors, especially those struggling with substance abuse. This is what happened to Mackenzie Phillips on the show "One Day at a Time." She was fired in 1980 after showing up late and intoxicated multiple times to work. She was brought back in 1981 after treatment, but fired soon after when she relapsed and refused to take a drug test. This was when her character was written out of the show.

• TV Show: "Criminal Minds"
• Character: Aaron Hotchner

For 11 years, Thomas Gibson played Aaron Hotchner on "Criminal Minds." So, what happened? Why was he fired and ultimately written out of the show? Well, when filming season 12, his anger issues got the best of him, and he got into an altercation with Virgil Williams, allegedly kicking him.

• TV Show: "Roseanne"
• Character: Roseanne

Sometimes, when a scandal is big enough, it can end the whole show. This is what happened after Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about Valerie Janet. She was dismissed from the show's renewal, and it was ultimately canceled.

• TV Show: "Ally McBeal"
• Character: Larry Paul

Before becoming Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. struggled with drug and alcohol problems. While filming for "Ally McBeal," he was arrested twice. The second time, the producers had had enough and let him go.

• TV Show: "Two and a Half Men"
• Character: Charlie Harper

It's always so surprising when a main character is recast or written off the show. This is the case for "Two and a Half Men." In 2011, Charlie Sheen was fired because of a very public feud with showrunner Chuck Lorre, where Sheen made offensive comments.

• TV Show: "Scandal"
• Character: Harrison Wright

Columbus Short was fired from his role in "Scandal" after three seasons because of off-screen issues. This included domestic violence allegations by his now ex-wife and behavioural issues caused by substance abuse.

• TV Show: "Fuller House"
• Character: Rebecca Katsopolis

One of the biggest scandals to come out in 2019 was the college admissions scandal, where 53 people were charged. In the center of it was Lori Loughlin, who played Aunt Becky on "Fuller House." She and her husband bribed USC admissions to accept her two kids. The writers wrote her character out of the show.

• TV Show: "Cheers"
• Character: Eddie LeBec

If you want to keep your job, maybe you shouldn't speak badly about the show or your co-stars. Jay Thomas was fired from "Cheers" after dissing his co-star on a radio show. Since he had a big role in the series, they couldn't just say he was on vacation, so the writers killed him off in a Zamboni accident.

• TV Show: "House of Cards"
• Character: Frank Underwood

Although Kevin Spacey was a lead actor in "House of Cards," producers fired him and killed his character off-screen. This was because of the long list of sexual assault allegations put forward against him at the time.

• TV Show: "The Ranch"
• Character: Jameson "Rooster" Bennett

No TV crew wants to work with an abuser, which is why it's common for actors to get fired after sexual assault claims and charges. Netflix let go of Danny Masterson from "The Ranch" after sexual assault allegations. He was convicted in 2023 and is now serving a 30 years to life sentence in prison.

• TV Show: "Transparent"
• Character: Maura Pfefferman

Jeffrey Tambor is another actor to lose their job because of sexual assault and misconduct allegations. After Amazon investigated the claims, which came from previous assistants, it let him go.

• TV Show: "The Mandalorian"
• Character: Cara Dune

Disney+ does not play around. They are very strict on what you can and cannot post about when acting on a film or show. Gina Carano found this out the hard way as she was fired after posting controversial social media posts, including one that compared conservatives in the U.S. to Jewish people during the Holocaust.

• TV Show: "Grey's Anatomy"
• Character: Dr. Preston Burke

Also on our list is "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington. This scandal was a quiet one that happened on set. He used a homophobic slur on a co-star and had on-set conflicts with other cast members.

• TV Show: "Pair of Kings"
• Character: King Brady

Another Disney star booted off a show for scandalous behavior is Mitchel Musso. He was once one of the leads in "Pair of Kings" and "PrankStars." That changed, however, after he got a DUI while drinking underage.

• TV Show: "Empire"
• Character: Jamal Lyon

Last but not least is the shocking scandal involving Jussie Smollett, who starred in "Empire." While on the show, Smollett staged a fake hate crime. The police charged him with filing a false police report. Because of this, the producers wrote him out of the final episodes, cutting off contact with the actor.