'Sons of Anarchy' Creator Kurt Sutter Defends 'Mayans M.C.' Cast, Explains Why No Stars Have Publicly Supported Him

Kurt Sutter does not expect anyone from Mayans M.C. to stand up for him amid his firing from FX [...]

By Libby Birk

Kurt Sutter does not expect anyone from Mayans M.C. to stand up for him amid his firing from FX and Disney. The series creator took to Twitter to clarify that the cast and crew has been "put between a rock and a hard lawyer" in the sticky situation and that "love and support is the only thing that will stabilize the disruption I've caused."

His statement came after a Twitter user called out Sons of Anarchy franchise actors and crew members for not standing publicly by Sutter's side.

Sutter has been vocal about his firing from the network, which came earlier this month due to complaints from cast and crew members collected by Disney's human resources department. Disney owns FX as well as the studio that produces Mayans M.C., 20th Century Fox Television/Fox 21 Television Studios. The news came a few weeks after he announced he would be stepping down from the series at the end of the ongoing Season 2.

In notes from Sutter sent to his inner circle published by Deadline, Sutter seemed to hint that there was more to the story behind his firing, saying he believes Disney culture ultimately led to it. In one letter addressed to the cast and crew of the series, he said he was fired for being an "abrasive d—."

In a more recently leaked note, he wrote that he is "intense and passionate" and that he takes his job "very seriously."

"That's what having a vision manifests. And if you f— with that vision, I'm gonna push back," he wrote, adding that he "prides" himself "on having a supportive and empowering set."

"Disney letting me go today was apparently based on data collected by HR and Business Affairs from writers, producers, cast and crew. They claim the intel suggests that I created a climate of hostility, favoritism and enabled a set where no one felt safe or appreciated. I know that's not true," Sutter wrote. "I'm not saying it was all sunshine and roses, but I'm close with most of those guys and they love going to work. I'm also not sure how, having been on set… maybe three times all season, I was able to singularly create that much damage."

He also complained of "heavy handed" notes and script cuts from Disney's "scrutiny," saying he "genuinely feared for the create future of storytelling." He claimed when he "pushed back" against the network notes, he was "dealing with personnel who didn't know me ... and my level of... passion."

"I send this diatribe because I feel deeply wronged. They embarrassed me," he wrote. "They created a false narrative that could damage my reputation and career. I want them to understand the depth of that mistake."

Sutter had been working at FX since joining The Shield as a writer in 2002. He created Sons of Anarchy, which ran from 2008 to 2014 (as well as the SOA spinoff Mayans M.C.), and the 2015 series, The Bastard Executioner, for the network.

Mayans M.C. airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on FX.

Photo credit: Kevin Winter / Staff / Getty

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