The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan accused fans of going 'too far' and 'attacking' Norman Reedus following an announcement that Melissa McBride would no longer be involved in a planned spinoff.
McBride was set to star as her character Carol alongside Reedus in the spin-off which was first announced by AMC in September 2020, but ahead of its planned release next year an AMC spokesperson confirmed the news of McBride's departure from the series.
The spinoff is now expected to focus solely on the story of Daryl, played by Reedus, rather than both Daryl and Carol as initially planned, with the spokesperson explaining McBride's departure was down to the logistics of filming.
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Per Variety, the spokesperson said: "Melissa McBride has given life to one of the most interesting, real, human and popular characters in The Walking Dead universe. Unfortunately, she is no longer able to participate in the previously announced spin-off focused on the Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier characters, which will be set and filmed in Europe this summer and premiere next year.
"Relocating to Europe became logistically untenable for Melissa at this time. We know fans will be disappointed by this news, but The Walking Dead universe continues to grow and expand in interesting ways and we very much hope to see Carol again in the near future.”
The news prompted some fans to speculate whether Reedus could actually be to blame for McBride's exit from the show, but Morgan quickly slammed the claims with a post on Twitter which began: "Some of you have gone WAY too far.”
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“TOXIC," he continued, saying: "Attacking norm for crap he has NOTHING to do with? Melissa made a call that was hers alone. She wants/needs a break. Respect that. Factors involved that are nobody’s business. Norm, who’s given more than anyone to you all. Just SH***Y.”
The actor, who plays Negan in the hit AMC series, further shut down rumours by responding to a Twitter user who replied to his original post to defend Reedus, saying: "Even IF Norman decided to relocate to be with his fam, that’s totally understandable. They supported him in Georgia. I doubt any decisions were made lightly."
In response, Morgan wrote: "Norman had nothing to do with picking location. That decision is all about story, ideas… MONEY. That’s studio/network. Not actors. We can say yes and do, or no, and not do… MAYBE. SOMETIMES. If we’re lucky and don’t have contract yet. Rarely does actor have that power [sic]."
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The spin-off series featuring Reedus is one of several Walking Dead spinoffs in the works at AMC.
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Topics: The Walking Dead, Film and TV, Twitter, Celebrity
Emily Brown