NEW YORK — Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from the long-running CBS drama "Criminal Minds."
ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios, which produce the series, made the announcement Friday, providing no further details.
Gibson's exit followed a physical altercation last month between him and another member of the "Criminal Minds" company on the series' Los Angeles set. It occurred as the series filmed an episode for the upcoming season, its twelfth, according to a person with knowledge of the incident who spoke on the condition of anonymity because that person wasn't authorized to discuss it.
The altercation reportedly led to an internal review.
The firing was preceded by an apology from Gibson on Thursday.
"There were creative differences on the set and a disagreement. I regret that it occurred," Gibson said in a statement.
Gibson had starred on "Criminal Minds" — which focuses on an elite team of FBI profilers who try to anticipate and prevent criminal behavior — since its premiere in 2005. He played Special Agent Aaron Hotchner. He had also directed six episodes in recent years.
Details on how Hotchner will be written out of the show "will be announced at a later date," the studios said.
