24 Stars Who Got Suspended Or Fired From TV Shows

Some of these celebs stood for something, others just messed up BAD.

People who work together on TV shows become pretty tight-knit families. Whether it's a news show or a sitcom, there's a lot of time spent together, which can set the scene for a lot of off-camera drama.

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These TV firings and suspensions are just some of the many that have shocked audiences over the years.

1. Suzanne Somers (Chrissy Snow, Three's Company)

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Suzanne Somers was let go for something so many of us are still fighting for today: equal pay. After asking for a raise from $30,000 to closer to what co-star John Ritter was rumored to be making, $150,000 per episode, she was ousted. 

2. Shannen Doherty (Brenda Walsh, Beverly Hills, 90210)

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Shannen Doherty got the reputation of being difficult on set, which bubbled into a bigger problem when she allegedly came to blows with co-star Jennie Garth. Tori Spelling says she got the guys to break it up...and then got Shannen fired by telling her father, executive producer Aaron Spelling. Tori says she feels guilty about it to this day.

“I felt like I was a part of something, a movement, that cost someone their livelihood," Spelling told Us Weekly. "Was she a horrible person? No. She was one of the best friends I ever had.”

3. Janet Hubert (Vivian Banks, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

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Janet Hubert and Will Smith recently worked through the issues that caused tension between them on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. A constant clash of personalities, coupled with Janet's troubles from life off-set, led her to walk away when she was given an offer that would give her little screen time on the show, but prohibit her from exploring other opportunities in her free time.

4. Lisa Kudrow (Roz Doyle, Frasier)

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Many people aren't aware that before she was hired as Phoebe Buffay on Friends, she was actually supposed to play Roz Doyle, Frasier Crane's radio show producer on Frasier. Days into filming the pilot, the team decided she didn't have the right chemistry with the rest of the cast. She thought it would be the end of her career, and then Friends came along.

5. Robert Downey Jr. (Larry Paul, Ally McBeal)

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Robert Downey Jr. was still battling substance abuse during his time on Ally McBeal. A series of arrests in 2001 led to his character, Ally's love interest Larry Paul, ultimately being written out of the show.

6. Nicolette Sheridan, (Edie Britt, Desperate Housewives)

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Nicolette Sheridan was fired from her role as Edie Britt on Desperate Housewives in 2009 after what she says was a toxic working relationship between her and show creator Marc Cherry. She even filed a wrongful termination lawsuit that went on for 8 years before being dismissed in 2017, at which time Nicolette's team filed an appeal.

7. Chadwick Boseman (Reggie Montgomery, All My Children)

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All My Children was Chadwick Boseman's first acting role, which is why the young actor struggled with whether or not to speak up about his concerns over his character, Reggie Montgomery. Chadwick felt the character was being written too stereotypically and ultimately said something after a week of filming, leading to him being fired. He was replaced with his future Black Panther co-star Michael B. Jordan, who went on to play the role for three years on the soap.

8. Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke, Grey's Anatomy)

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Isaiah Washington was in the middle of a fight with Patrick Dempsey when he unloaded an anti-gay slur, speaking about their co-star T.R. Knight. The tense moment cleared the set. Washington tried to redeem himself, but he ended up fired that season.

9. Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

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Who could forget how Charlie Sheen publicly bashed Two And A Half Men producer Chuck Lorre while going through a public meltdown? The producer had been patient with Sheen through various scandals, but the last straw came when Sheen publicly dismissed Lorre as a "clown" and a "stupid, stupid little man."

10. Selma Blair (Kate Wales, Anger Management)

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Charlie Sheen was also allegedly involved in Selma Blair's firing from Anger Management, texting her directly to fire her and calling her a "c—t" in a text. He lashed out after Selma commented on frustrations with the actor's work ethic, a sentiment carried by many on set.

11. Taylor Momsen (Jenny Humphrey, Gossip Girl)

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Taylor Momsen found that her passion for acting was burning out in the midst of her run as Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl. She became "unreliable" on set, leading to a significant cut in her storyline. She also allegedly bumped heads with showrunners over the fact that her music wasn't used on the show, but two songs by co-star Leighton Meester were.

12. Columbus Short (Harrison Wright, Scandal)

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Columbus Short was let go from Scandal, where he played Harrison Wright for three seasons, in April 2014. A month prior, he was arrested for allegedly knocking a man out in a physical altercation at a Los Angeles restaurant. Later, Short admitted to drinking and doing cocaine during the time as he went through a divorce and custody battle.

13. Thomas Gibson (Aaron Hotchner, Criminal Minds)

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Thomas Gibson was known to be a hothead on the set of Criminal Minds. He was rumored to have been forced by production to take anger management classes after an incident in 2010. In 2016, he was fired from the show after another incident in which he allegedly kicked a writer over creative differences.

14. Lori Loughlin (Aunt Becky Donaldson-Katsopolis, Fuller House)

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Lori Loughlin lost her recurring role as Aunt Becky on Fuller House, as well as her role on Hallmark's When The Heart Calls, after her and her husband's involvement in the college admissions scandal. Lori ultimately did jail time while the show filmed its final season.

15. Stassi Schroeder (Vanderpump Rules)

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Stassi Schroeder was fired by Bravo from Vanderpump Rules after news that she and castmate Kristen Doute had once called the police on another castmate, Faith Stowers, for a crime she had absolutely no involvement in. The incident later came to life as people called for the network to deal with a number of castmates who acted inappropriately around the subject of race on and off camera.

16. Stana Katic (Kate Beckett, Castle)

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Stana Katic was initially rumored to have left Castle but later was revealed to have been fired in what was officially a budgetary move. Behind the scenes, however, rumors of her clashes with co-star Nathan Fillion were believed to be the reason behind her firing, which only shortly preceded the series' cancellation.

17. Matt Lauer (Today)

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Matt Lauer was fired in 2017 following accusations of sexual misconduct in the workplace that were verified by an independent investigation by NBC. More allegations against the disgraced former anchor came up in 2019. He has denied all allegations.

18. Erinn Hayes (Donna Gable, Kevin Can Wait)

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Erinn Hayes seemed to get fired from Kevin Can Wait so that showrunners could explore the possibility of another Kevin James-Leah Remini comedy. Officially, they just decided to take the series in another direction.

19. Roseanne Barr (Roseanne Conner, Roseanne)

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ABC didn't quite fire Roseanne Barr. Rather, they canceled her entire series reboot, Roseanne, in 2018 after a series of racist tweets. The series was ultimately reimagined as The Conners, with the family moving on from the previous namesake matriarch's death.

20. Gina Carano (Cara Dune, The Mandalorian)

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Gina Carano was fired from The Mandalorian after tweets comparing being Republican in the 2021 political climate to being Jewish during the Holocaust. It was not the first time her political comments drew her ire, but the network felt it was the last time they could be associated with it.

21. Sharon Osbourne (The Talk)

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Sharon Osbourne was fired from The Talk in March 2021 after an on-air debate about racism led to claims of racially-charged comments being investigated internally. Sharon was ultimately found to be guilty of behavior that did not align with the show's values and let go.

22. Jay Johnston (Jimmy Pesto, Bob's Burgers)

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Jay Johnston, who voiced Jimmy Pesto on Bob's Burgers, was fired for allegedly participating in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. He was not one of those arrested or charged by law enforcement, but several photos and videos placed him among the insurrectionists.

23. Chris Cuomo (Cuomo Tonight)

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Chris Cuomo was fired from CNN, where he hosted Cuomo Tonight, after investigations revealed his exact role in crafting his brother, disgraced New York City Governor Andrew Cuomo's defense against sexual assault allegations. A sexual misconduct allegation arose shortly after his dismissal.

24. Whoopi Goldberg (The View)

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Whoopi Goldberg was suspended for two weeks from hosting duties on The View for comments made on-air. During a conversation about book banning, Goldberg said that the Holocaust was "not about race," causing outrage. Despite her prompt apology and steps taken to understand her ignorance, the network continued ahead with their decision to suspend her.

Which of these firings do you think was most controversial? Share your opinions in the comments.