Top 10 Comedy Show Scandals That Got Actors FIRED

Unfortunately, one misbehaving cast member on a series can sometimes become everyone else's problem. This was the case on the FX series “Anger Management,” which starred Charlie Sheen as a baseball player and Selma Blair as his therapist. While their on-screen relationship was mutually beneficial, the same cannot be said for their connection off-screen. Sheen was apparently an extremely difficult co-star, which led to conflict between him and Blair when the latter called him out for it. Sheen reportedly threatened to walk if Blair returned, so the showrunners canned her. Sounds like the whole situation could’ve benefited from some anger management.

Hollywood has consistently proven harsh when it comes to stars who ask for more money. Take Valerie Harper of “The Hogan Family,” formerly titled “Valerie,” for example. Harper was replaced from a series bearing her own name after a dispute over her salary. Suzanne Somers of “Three’s Company” ended up in a similar situation in 1980. Upon realizing that her male co-star, John Ritter, was receiving an astronomically larger paycheck than she was, she attempted to renegotiate. Instead of leveling the playing field, ABC reduced her role before letting Somers go altogether.

The college admission scandal involving actors like Lori Loughlin was a hot-button conversation back in 2019. Loughlin paid the University of Southern California a sizable bribe in return for her two daughters getting guaranteed spots at the school. She admitted guilt for her crime, ultimately spending two months in prison. Of course, this meant she wouldn’t be returning to the reboot series “Fuller House,” in which she played the role of Aunt Becky. In the context of the show, the characters explained that Becky had to leave to take care of her mother.

Lots of shows have dealt with actor pregnancies in different ways. Some decide to write the pregnancy into the show, while others try to obfuscate baby bellies with clever costuming and camera angles. Other shows, however, will simply get rid of the actor. Dana Plato, who played Kimberly Drummond on “Diff’rent Strokes,” was written off when she became pregnant in 1984. This, coupled with her other personal struggles, led to Kimberly being largely written out of the series. According to the network, it would’ve been impossible to explain this in the context of the character, as it wouldn’t be considered “wholesome.”

Sometimes, behind-the-scenes antics aren’t always taken that way. Jeff Garlin plays father Murray Goldberg in the ABC sitcom “The Goldbergs.” Or, more accurately, he used to, before being fired for his alleged “abusive” comments and actions on the set of the show. Garlin denied responsibility for these accusations, claiming his behavior is simply by nature of being a comic off-screen as well as on. Either way, it was clear he wouldn’t return to the role for the rest of the series’ run. To explain the character’s sudden disappearance, Murray was killed off.

The Netflix series “The Ranch” starred Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson, who played brothers operating a cattle ranch. However, leading into the sixth part of the show, Masterson was cut from the cast. This is due to a slew of assault charges that were pressed against the actor, which began in 2017. The decision to eliminate Masterson from the cast isn’t surprising considering the severity of the allegations made, which we’ll let you investigate at your own discretion. He was also not asked to return for “That ‘90s Show” as his character Steven Hyde for these same reasons.

It’s hard to see beloved comedy television characters cut from roles we enjoy them in, but when you hear the stories from behind the scenes, it makes for an easier pill to swallow. This can be said of T.J. Miller, the actor who played the outspoken Erlich Bachman on “Silicon Valley.” According to the creators of the show, Miller was disrespectful to the cast and crews’ time and patience, frequently showing up late or sleeping on the job. The decision to fire him was unrelated to subsequent charges made against him, but we’re sure the network was glad they cut ties when they did.

Apparently, it’s well known around Hollywood that Chevy Chase is difficult to work with. The comedy legend also happens to be infamous for his outrageous behavior on film and television sets. Chase held the role of Pierce Hawthorne on “Community” up until the show’s fifth season, in which Pierce was comically killed off. Chase was known to disagree with the show’s creator, Dan Harmon, and his ideas and direction for the character. On a more serious note, cast and crew members expressed that he frequently used offensive and racist language with no remorse whatsoever.

You’d have to do something seriously messed up to get booted off your very own show. Fans were excited to learn that the classic ‘90s series “Roseanne” would be revived in 2018, with the original cast reprising their roles. This plan was almost immediately disrupted after Roseanne Barr sent out some terrible, racist tweets. This act got her quickly removed from the reboot, and the entire project was rebranded as “The Conners” – following Roseanne’s family without her presence. Luckily, the spinoff show has been largely successful despite the originating controversy.

Once again, we have a scandal surrounding actor Charlie Sheen. Sadly, Sheen was consistently struggling with substance abuse for many years. This was altering his behavior and decision-making while on the cast of the hit sitcom “Two and a Half Men,” eventually leading to him being terminated from the show altogether. Sheen was known to have violent outbursts and episodes, making for an unhealthy work environment for the rest of the crew. He was replaced by Ashton Kutcher, whose character moves into the series’s central house after Sheen’s character’s death.