A new report has emerged alleging why Matthew Morrison is no longer a judge on the latest season of the Fox reality show So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD).
According to People magazine, Morrison, who joined the SYTYCD judging panel in April, was fired from the production “after he had an inappropriate relationship with a female contestant.”
As of this writing, Morrison, 43, nor the show’s production has responded publicly to the report.
The People source, who the magazine says is close to the Fox production, claimed Morrison sent a contestant “flirty direct messages on social media” and that she “felt uncomfortable with his line of comments and went to producers, who then got Fox involved.”
People reported that Morrison and the contestant did not have sex and did not meet outside of the production.
After an investigation into the matter, People reported, Morrison was fired from the show.
News of the Glee actor’s departure was announced on Friday, a week after Season 17 of the show premiered. In the announcement, Morrison said the reason he left the show was that he “did not follow competition production protocols.”
“Having the opportunity to be a judge on So You Think You Can Dance was an incredible honor for me. Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show,” he said in a statement.
“After filming the audition rounds for the show and completing the selection of the 12 finalists, I did not follow competition production protocols, preventing me from being able to judge the competition fairly.
“I cannot apologize enough to all involved and I will be watching alongside you all on what I know will be one of the best seasons yet.”
Morrison has been married to Renee Puente since 2014. The couple have two children together.
A replacement judge for Morrison has yet to be announced, though he is expected to appear in episodes that were already filmed up until June 15.