Criminal Minds has already been renewed for a 13th season, but will the whole cast return? Deadline reports stars Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook may be leaving the CBS TV series.
The long-running crime procedural follows a unique team of profilers for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) at Quantico, Virginia. The cast includes Vangsness, Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler, Paget Brewster, Joe Mantegna, Adam Rodriguez, Damon Gupton, and Aisha Tyler
According to Deadline, both Vangsness and Cook have asked for equal pay with their male co-stars, and so far contract negotiations have reached a dead end. In 2013, the duo successfully negotiated a raise after being paid “less than half of what their male counterparts including Gubler and Shemar Moore were making.”
However, now it’s unclear if the result will be the same. Both Vangsness and Cook have reportedly said they will leave Criminal Minds if their request for equal pay is denied. Neither ABC Studios nor CBS have made a public comment on the negotiations.
What do you think? Do you watch Criminal Minds? Would you watch without Vangsness and Cook?
If Kirsten & AJ were to leave then that would be it for me……I have stuck around to support the show but TOO MANY of our regulars have left & this would be the straw………