Terry Crews revealed that Brooklyn Nine-Nine had to scrap four new episodes after the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25.
The show finished filming its seventh season in April but Crews told Access Hollywood Tuesday that showrunner Dan Goor “had four (new) episodes all ready to go and they just threw them in the trash. We have to start over. Right now we don’t know which direction it’s going to go in.”
Crews said that the cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine has had “a lot of somber talks about it and deep conversations and we hope through this we’re going to make something that will be truly groundbreaking this year. We have an opportunity here, and we plan to use it in the best way possible.”
The America’s Got Talent host called the reaction to Floyd’s death “Black America’s #MeToo movement.”
“We always knew this was happening,” he said, “but now, white people are understanding.”
Showrunner Goor tweeted a message of support for Black Lives Matter earlier this month and he and the cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine donated $100,000 to the National Bail Fund.
“The cast and showrunner of Brooklyn 99 condemn the murder of George Floyd and support the many people who are protesting police brutality nationally. Together we have made a $100,000 donation to The National Bail Fund Network,” he announced. “We encourage you to look up your local bail fund: the National Bail Fund Network is an organization that can lead you to them. #BlackLivesMatter.”
Following Floyd’s death, Crews posted an emotional video to Instagram.
“First of all my heart is broken,” Crews said. “George Floyd looks like me. George Floyd could be me. I could easily, easily be that man on the ground with that police officer’s knee on my neck. That could easily be me.”