'Criminal Minds' Stars React To New Contracts

Criminal Minds fans were worried over the last few weeks, as it had been revealed that stars A.J. [...]

By Charlie Ridgely

Criminal Minds fans were worried over the last few weeks, as it had been revealed that stars A.J. Cook and Kirsten Vangsness hadn't signed on for the upcoming 13th season. The two actresses were fighting for pay equal to their male co-stars, like Matthew Gray Gubler, who had already agreed to a new contract.

Thankfully, Cook and Vangsness won the fight, and they were able to achieve parity and get the pay increase they were asking for.

This means that both Penelope and Jennifer will be back when Criminal Minds returns to CBS in the fall.

As you can imagine, the stars took to Twitter to celebrate the new contracts, as well as thank fans for the support over the years.

Kirsten Vangsness

This Criminal Minds star is one of the only performers who has been with the show since day one. Between her and Gubler, they're holding down the season one fort.

It was exciting to see Vangsness achieve parity with her male co-stars, as she's been such an integral part of the series for so long.

Being that the actress is usually very outspoken on Twitter, it was no surprise that she took to the social media site to talk about the achievement.

The "sisters doing it for themselves" line was in reference to the work that Vangsness and Cook put in together. They stood as one for the pay increases that they deserved, and the team-up paid off.

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Setting The Record Straight

The announcement of the new contracts came shortly after it was revealed that co-star Damon Gupton would be leaving after one season.

Online, fans were beginning to spread the rumor that his dismissal was in correlation to the raises that Vangsness and Cook were being given. However, that couldn't be further from the truth.

The actress took to Twitter to explain that the two weren't connected, and that it was wrong for anyone to try and put them together. Vangsness and Cook got their pay-bumps because they deserved them, and Gupton's exit was a creative decision.

As close as many members of this cast are, it's unlikely that Vangsness would have wanted to do anything that cost a friend their job. As you can see below, she's been outspoken about how much she loved having Gupton as a co-star.

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Speaking of Gupton

Just because Damon Gupton has left the show, doesn't mean there isn't love there for his former co-stars. The actor also jumped on Twitter to voice his opinion on the new contracts.

The class-act performer rejoiced over the milestone reached by Vangsness and Cook. He offered the two stars congratulations on their new pay increase, and noted that it was "well earned."

He finished up the tweet by echoing the thoughts of many of the show's fans, saying that the duo "deserve every penny."

Gupton wasn't the only one to jump online and offer well-wishes to the the actresses. Aisha Tyler, who also stars on the series, sent out her own collection of celebratory emojis.

Criminal Minds will return this fall, when its 13th season premieres on September 27, on CBS.

To pass the time until your favorite BAU agents are back on TV, let us know which Criminal Minds character you'd most like to meet in real life by voting in our poll below!

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