Sonja Flemming/CBS (NEW YORK) — Shemar Moore holds his former Criminal Minds co-star Thomas Gibson in high regard, but says if the actor was fired for assault, then a lesson had to be learned.
Moore, who says he’s now focused on his upcoming film, The Bounce Back, which he raised money to finance, produced and stars in, says the reported incident in which Gibson allegedly kicked a co-worker during an on-set dispute was definitely unacceptable.
“As far as the circumstances that went down, there’s just certain lines you can’t cross,” Moore tells ABC Radio. “And there’s legal issues in a place of work. So all I can say to that is if he did what he did, then he has to learn a lesson. And the powers that be decided that was the lesson.”
Yet Moore, who announced in March he was leaving the hit series to pursue other opportunities, still praises Gibson’s work ethic and admits there were “good days and bad days” for everyone on the set.
“Thomas Gibson is a talented man, he’s a talented man,” Moore says. “He takes his work – he takes his life very seriously. And when you’re a family, you have good days and you have bad days. Sometimes you adore each other and sometimes you need a break from each other…”
As far as making a return as Special Agent Derek Morgan, Shemar says he’s open to it — but in a limited capacity.
“If asked under the right circumstances to just come back and play with my family… those folks at Criminal Minds are like a family,” Moore explains. “So would it be long term? Probably not… But would I go back and kick down doors and beat up some unsubs and flirt with my original baby girl? Um, yes, yes, yes and another, yes.”
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