The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan took to social media to respond to backlash following Melissa McBride's exit from the Daryl & Carol spinoff.
The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who portrays the villain-turned-hero Negan on the zombie horror show, has recently taken to social media to defend co-star Melissa McBride regarding her exit from the planned Carol and Daryl spinoff series. Originally debuting in 2010, The Walking Dead centers on a revolving cast of characters as they struggle to survive during the years following a cataclysmic zombie outbreak. McBride and Norman Reedus are the only cast members to appear in every season of the long-running show.
AMC recently announced that McBride will no longer be associated with her The Walking Dead spin-off series. Initially believed to be fueled by a creative decision, McBride's exit was later confirmed to be a personal decision by the actor herself. With the upcoming show set in Europe, McBride found the on-location shoot to be unfavorable and respectfully backed out of the project. The series will reportedly continue with Daryl as the spin-off's sole lead.
Following the announcement of McBride's departure from The Walking Dead spin-off, there was immediate reaction from fans on social media. Some praised her decision while others criticized Reedus as speculation insinuating that he was the reason behind the European location decision grew. Morgan took to Twitter to defend McBride and Reedus from fan retaliation. Check out the actor's responses below.
Click here to view the original post.
Due to the fact that Reedus' wife, Diane Kruger, is German, angry Twitter users argued that he was the impetus for the decision to set the show in Germany, and thus the reason why McBride could no longer participate. Being the loyal friend that he is, Morgan stepped up to defend his colleagues, asking fans not to believe rumors and explaining that money was the root of the location decision. As Morgan has been associated with the show since season 6 and is set to continue in The Walking Dead universe with his own spinoff called Isle of the Dead, the actor has good reason to be trusted with his understanding of the situation.
While it is unfortunate that McBride will no longer be associated with the planned spin-off, she has certainly made her mark as one of the most popular characters on The Walking Dead. From season 1, where she was listed in a recurring role only, to the final season where she now plays one of the leads, McBride has been put through the wringer as a veteran zombie survivor. She quickly became a fan favorite following her turn from abused wife and mother to the most ruthless, conniving, yet loyal group leader in the series. How the Daryl spinoff will continue remains to be seen, for now, the final season of The Walking Dead will be Carol's last on-screen appearance in the universe.
Source: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, 2, 3
