A story that hinted that Matthew Morrison was fired as a judge of the So You Think You Can Dance reality contest because harassing a female contestant distorts the truth, the star said today in an Instagram post.
People magazine, citing a “source” close to the reality show, reported earlier this week that Morrison had been released for harassing messages to a contestant. He allegedly approached the producers, who involved Fox, who later fired Morrison after an investigation.
Morrison has responded to the allegations today.
“It’s really unfortunate that I have to sit here and defend myself and my family against blatantly false statements made anonymously, but I have nothing to hide,” he began on Thursday in a video posted on Instagram. “So, in the interest of transparency, I’m going to read you the only message I wrote to a dancer on the show.”
Then he read the alleged message. “Hey, I’m Matthew. If you don’t mind, I’d love to get your number and talk to you about some things.”
“The end,” he said after reading. “I sent this because this dancer and I share a mutual respect for a choreographer I’ve known for over 20 years, and I was trying to help her get a job as a choreographer on the show.
He added: “It’s devastating that we live in this world where gossip rules and people’s lives are being thrown like a bait. I think this is much bigger than me and this story. Gossip is toxic and is destroying the our society, and we need to do better. “
Morrison said he “in no way” wanted this to “get away from the show” and wished “all the best” to contestants and fellow judges.
Earlier this week, it issued a statement blaming “production protocols” for its downfall.
“Having the chance to be a judge on So You Think You Can Dance was an incredible honor for me. So I deeply regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show,” Morrison said in a statement provided to Deadline. “After filming the rehearsals for the show and completing the selection of the 12 finalists, I did not follow the production protocols of the competition, which prevented me from being able to judge the competition fairly. I can’t apologize enough to everyone involved and I’ll be watching from all of you what I know will be one of the best seasons so far. “
Sources tell Deadline that a new judge, who will join Siwa and Stephen “tWitch ‘” Boss on the panel, will be announced soon for the next round of competition episodes starting on June 15th. Morrison appears in a total of four episodes that have been pre-recorded.
Cat Deeley is the host of the long-running series featuring skilled dancers between the ages of 18 and 30, who showcase their talent in a variety of dance styles, including contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, animation and breaking.
The series is produced by Industrial Media’s 19 Entertainment and MRC. Rosie Seitchik acts as a showrunner and will be the executive producer alongside co-creator Lythgoe, Jeff Thacker, Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman.