Matthew Morrison was fired from So You Think You Can Dance. Image Source: Vanity Fair
Here's some clarity on why was Matthew Morrison fired from So You Think You Can Dance Season 17.
According to a source, the producers removed Matthew Morrison, who served as a judge on season 17 of So You Think You Can Dance after he had an improper interaction with a female participant. Although Matthew Morrison and the female competitor, whose identity has not been released, did not have any physical interaction, the actor did seek out her via flirty direct messages on social media, according to the source.
The anonymous female contestant did not feel comfortable with Matthew Morrison's statements, so she contacted the producers, who subsequently contacted FOX, who conducted an inquiry, and Matthew Morrison was dismissed as a result. They didn't meet off-set, according to reports, but it was the direct communications that got to the female participant.
After word of his departure from So You Think You Can Dance began to circulate over the weekend, the actor-judge issued a statement explaining that he was quitting the program due to a failure to follow the competition's production rules. According to the statement, Matthew Morrison expressed gratitude to the production studio for enabling him to serve as a judge on the show, calling it an honor.
Matthew Morrison also expressed his disappointment at having to notify the show's viewers and following that he will be departing. He went on to say that after recording the show's audition rounds and selecting the 12 finalists, he broke the competition's production procedure, which prevented him from being a judge on the show. He went on to say that he can't express his gratitude enough to everyone involved and that he would be watching So You Think You Can Dance with the crowd, predicting that it will be one of the finest seasons ever.
The actor is going to appear till mid-June since the episodes were pre-taped, but according to sources, his replacement is expected to be called up in the second part of the competition’s filming and, as of now, no names have come up. Matthew Morrison was a part of the new panel of judges for season 17 of the show and replaced Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy with JoJo Siwa and Stephen "tWitch" Boss. This season, Cat Deeley returns as host.
Matthew Morrison has been married to Renee Puente since 2014 and recently took to his social media to share a video in which he gave his side of the tale in this article. He said it's "very sad" that he has to sit there and defend himself and his family against anonymously made false allegations. He said in his video that he had nothing to hide, so he read the text he wrote to the female competitor, who expressed her dissatisfaction with the situation and protested to the producers.
Matthew Morrison’s text read "Hey! It's Matthew. If you don't mind, I'd love to get your number and talk you through some things." The actor explained that he sent the message to the contestant because he and the contestant had mutual regard for a choreographer he has known for over 20 years and he wanted to get the choreographer a job on the program. In the video, the actor says it's strange that they live in a society where gossip reigns supreme and people's lives are used as clickbait, and that he believes this is a far greater issue than himself and the tale being told.
Matthew added that gossip is toxic and destroys society, and the people of the world have to do better. Finally, he wished the program's judges all the best and stated that he did not want the incident to detract from the show because dancing has always been a connecting and therapeutic modality.
