Matthew Morrison’s exit from So You Think You Can Dance late last week took many by surprise.
At the time, it was reported that production protocols had been broken, making it impossible for the former Glee star to continue as a judge.
Now, new details are emerging, and they don’t paint Morrison in the best light.
According to People, the 43-year-old was let go “after he had an inappropriate relationship with a female contestant.”
“They didn’t have sex, but he reached out to her through flirty direct messages on social media,” the source told the outlet.
“She felt uncomfortable with his line of comments and went to producers, who then got Fox involved. He was fired after they did their own investigation.”
The source says that Morrison and the contestant “never met up off-set.”
“It was just messages that crossed the line,” the source notes.
Morrison released a statement last week about his exit from the show, but he did not shed light on the reported reason for his dismissal.
“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,” Morrison said in the 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,” he continued.
“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 may be gone from the show, but he will still apear in pre-taped episodes, likely until the middle of June.
No details on who will be replacing Morrison, but we’ll keep you updated.
SYTCD returned from a three-year hiatus last month with a refreshed judging panel.
JoJo Siwa and Stephen “tWitch” Boss are the other two judges, while franchise mainstay Cat Deeley is back as host.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.