Damon Gupton Leaving ‘Criminal Minds’ After One Season

Coming on the heels of several other casting change announcements, it has now been revealed that a cast member is exiting the popular CBS crime drama Criminal Minds.

Deadline reports that Damon Gupton is leaving the show after only one season.

Gupton joined the series after the highly controversial exit of Criminal Minds veteran Thomas Gibson.

While no specific reason is being given for Gupton’s exit, it’s said to be due to a “creative change” in the direction of the show.

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Criminal Minds isn’t the first TV crime/drama to announce a cast member exit post-season this year.

It was recently announced that ‘Chicago P.D.’ Star Mark Hood Talks Sophia Bush’s Exit Jennifer Esposito is exiting NCIS after, just like Gupton, only spending one season on the show.

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Esposito played Agent Alexandra “Alex” Quinn, a character described as, “a quick-witted and talented agent who left to be an instructor at the Law Enforcement Training Center until Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon) lured her back to the field.”

In the season finale of the show, Quinn received multiple unexplained phone calls from her mother, which could potentially be used to explain the character’s absence next season.

While no official explanation has been given for her exit, it’s said to be attributed to the show moving in a different creative direction going forward.

More: ‘Chicago P.D.’ Star Mark Hood Talks Sophia Bush’s Exit

Jennifer Esposito did make a statement about her exit, saying her time on the show was “a great experience,” and adding, “I could not have asked for a better opportunity than to work with the NCIS cast and producers.”

Gupton’s character was also the victim of a cliffhanger ending, which saw him and several other team members get ambushed by gunmen. It’s likely that’ll be used to exit his character from the show.