Matthew Morrison addresses his So You Think You Can Dance firing
The actor called rumors he had inappropriately flirted with a contestant via social media "blatantly untrue"
Aux News Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison was fired from his judging slot on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance earlier this week amidst rumors he was inappropriately flirtatious with a contestant via social media. Now, Morrison has taken to his Instagram to address getting booted from the show.
“It’s really unfortunate that I have to sit here and defend myself and my family against blatantly untrue statements made anonymously, but I have nothing to hide,” Morrison opened his video post.
Then, in what he refers to as “the interest of transparency,” he read what he claimed was the singular direct message he sent the contestant: “Hey, it’s Matthew. If you don’t mind, would love to get your number and talk you through some things.”
Morrison said he was simply attempting to connect with the contestant to help a choreographer they “share a mutual respect for” get a job on SYTYCD.
“It’s devastating where we live in this world where gossip rules and people’s lives are being thrown around as clickbait,” Morrison said. “I think this is much bigger than me and this story. Gossip is toxic and is destroying our society and we need to do better.”
In a statement to People, a source claimed, “They didn’t have sex, but he reached out to her through flirty direct messages on social media.” The person added, “She felt uncomfortable with his line of comments and went to producers, who then got Fox involved. He was fired after they did their own investigation.”
Morrison made an initial statement to People after his removal from the judging panel, saying he’d been fired because he “did not follow competition production protocols” and could no longer “judge the competition fairly.”
“I cannot apologize enough to all involved,” he said at the time.
The actor concluded his Instagram video with a final clarification: He “in no way” wants the swirling drama to affect this season of SYTYCD. He added, “Dance has always been a unifying and healing modality, and I genuinely wish all the contestants and my fellow judges all the best.”
48 Comments
That message doesn’t seem flirty to me.
He shared one text while it was reported there were multiple texts to this young woman. He opened the door on this. Release them all.
Maybe I’m just being naive, but he did open the door himself, so that makes me think he wouldn’t take that risk if there were other messages?
Anonymous source: he was fired for sending flirty DMs to a contestant who felt uncomfortableMorrison’s defense: he only sent one DM, where he asked for the contestant’s number without context or obvious purpose.This is not the defense you think it is, Mr. Morrison.
Bullshit. Name a source.
Are you replying to the wrong comment? Literally the entire thrust of my post was that People magazine’s source is irrelevant, because Morrison’s “defense” is to describe inappropriate behavior. My source that Matthew Morrison behaved inappropriately is Matthew Morrison.
Lol, no matter what any man says….they are guilty. You , YOU, aren’t trying to place guilt. Bro, honey… he didn’t do anything wrong….
Lol, tell me you’ve been accused of harassment without telling me you’ve been accused of harassment.
lol
Honey, baby, I’m a man, sweetie. And as a man, I’m saying that man’s behavior is super shitty.
Bullshit…. absolute. Being a man doesn’t make you guilty…of anything. Trying to fuck a dancer, of age. Sorry, no… every asshole director gay/straight is guilty of this. Name a name…
So we agree that he’s an asshole. Got it.
he is a JUDGE on a contest show. that has to be againstthe rules.
he is a JUDGE on a contest show. that has to be againstthe rules.
he is a JUDGE on a contest show. that has to be againstthe rules.
And EVERY man knows it. It’s just that a whole bunch think there’s nothing wrong with it, and can’t believe they’d be called out on it. – A man.
no… he plainly said what he did wrong thinking that he was right but what he did was wrong in a professional setting. Also just… what
He literally put out the words that got him fired…. they were mild, at most…
By using the word mild you’re suggesting there should be gray area professionally? I don’t agree with that at all.
Why, so you can send them death threats?
Your mom
And the contestant was right to flag this because *any* personal interaction with a judge could be later seen as either manipulation or favoritism. Even if she hadn’t felt like they were flirty, it would *still* be inappropriate to reach out to a contestant in this way. That’s what gets me. If my boss sent me a message like that, I’m my DMs, on Instagram or TikTok, I would feel uncomfortable. This sounds like some bullshit “ugh you can’t even talk to a woman anymore!” excuse from him.
And his cover is “I wanted to talk to her about getting a choreographer we both like hired by the show”? That’s insane. On what planet does a contestant on the game show have influence over people hired by the production staff?
.
Exactly this.
I’ve always disliked Morrison and there have long been rumors about his behavior going back to his Hairspray days, but when I saw the message, I was like “…you think this is a defense?”Maybe he’s just trying to claim there was no flirting, the guy has a marriage to save, I guess. But you’re a judge on a competition where the judges have the ability to save contestants when money is on the line. You had to know you were breaking a rule even if you were being gross in a different way.
We’re now running into the Johnny Depp problem constantly. You have one story of multiple Flirty DMs and a guy saying there was one DM, that was inappropriate without context. Yes its a defense to say this is not the story you think it is, even if it is still bad.
How would a contestant auditioning to be on the show help him get a choreographer hired on the show???
Because contestants have choreographers? And they’re PROBABLY not chosen by hosts?
I mean, it’s obviously a bullshit story, but “How would connecting a dancer with a choreographer be of help to the dancer or the choreographer” is not the “Gotcha!” moment that you think it is.
But also why would you – a very famous Broadway actor with plenty of connections – think it wise to reach out to a contestant where you have far more power than they do?None of that makes any sense on any level.
I mean, it makes sense if he just wanted to hit on this woman and needed a barely plausible pretext.
“talk you through some things”?
That’s…odd. Sounds like a counselor or something.
It sounds to me like a judge offering help to a contestant as a pretext to setting up a meeting between them. The chances that he propositions her at that meeting are as near to 100% as I can imagine.
“Well, I address you too…sweetheart!”
So the creepy Glee teacher is a creepy Glee actor, too? Well, infuse yourself in the character, and such.
So You Think You Can Flirt?You get NOTHING! Good Day Sir!
So You Think You Can Harass.
He is alleged to have texted, “I want to dance with somebody. I want to feel the heat with somebody. Yes, I want to dance with somebody. With…somebody who loves me.”
and I-I-I-I-I-EEE-I-I-I-I-I-I-I will always text yooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuu
Weenie-boy weenies
American Idol” judge Paula Abdul had a steamy affair with contestant Corey Clark, but stopped calling him once he was booted from the show,
Ah, the good/disgusting ol’ days of American Idol.
Came here for this. Hard evidence that she tried to influence the outcome, and zero repercussions. Totally not a double-standard, or anything.
“Talk you through some things” is not an opening salvo I would use if I wanted to discuss a choreographer. I would maybe mention the choreographer?
And to think, they were this close to regionals
They’re thisclose!
His complaints about gossip don’t line up with the way SYTYCD punished him. This claims the she was the one who received his text and then she complained to his bosses about it because she felt uncomfortable. Where in this situation, was gossip involved? He did a thing and the person he did the thing to got him in trouble for it…. who gossiped here? He’s grasping at straws and by doing so is trying to smear cancel culture. Gross.