Matthew Morrison has offered his own explanation for text correspondence that’s reportedly at the center of his firing as a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance.”
A source told People earlier this week that the “Glee” actor was dismissed from the dance competition show for sending a female contestant “flirty” direct messages on social media that she said had made her uncomfortable. Morrison announced his departure last week, saying he had violated “competition production protocols, preventing me from being able to judge the competition fairly.”
“It’s really unfortunate that I have to sit here and defend myself and my family against blatantly untrue statements made anonymously, but I have nothing to hide,” Morrison said Thursday in a video posted on Instagram. “So, in the interest of transparency, I will read to you the one message I wrote to a dancer on the show.”
According to Morrison, that single message said: “Hey, it’s Matthew. If you don’t mind, would love to get your number and talk you through some things.”
“The end,” he said. “I sent this because this dancer and I both share a mutual respect for a choreographer that I’ve known for over 20 years and I was trying to help her get a job as a choreographer on the show.″
“Gossip is toxic,” he added, concluding by saying he didn’t want the incident to take away from the show. He wished the remaining judges and contestants on the show “all the best.”
A source close to the Fox reality show had told People that Morrison’s conduct was investigated after the woman, who reportedly received multiple messages, alerted producers.
Morrison will be replaced as a judge. However, many of the episodes were pre-taped, meaning he will be seen on the show through mid-June.