Matthew Morrison Fired From 'SYTYCD' Following 'Inappropriate Relationship' With A Female Contestant

KEY POINTS

Matthew Morrison announced his exit from "So You Think You Can Dance"
A source revealed he sent flirty messages to a female contestant on social media
He said his departure was due to "failure to follow competition production protocol"

New details about Matthew Morrison’s sudden exit from “So You Think You Can Dance” have emerged. According to a source, Morrison was fired from the series after having an inappropriate relationship with one of the Fox reality show’s female contestants.

“They didn’t have sex, but he reached out to her through flirty direct messages on social media,” the source told People. “She felt uncomfortable with his line of comments and went to producers, who then got Fox involved. He was fired after they did their own investigation.”

The source clarified that Morrison and the contestant never met up off-set. “It was just messages that crossed the line,” said the source.

Morrison announced his departure as a judge on “SYTYCD” just nine days after the season 17 premiere. In his announcement, the American actor, dancer, and singer said he was removed following his failure to “follow competition production protocols.”

“Having the opportunity to be a judge on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ was an incredible honor for me,” he said in a statement at the time. “Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show. After filming the audition rounds for the show and completing the selection of the 12 finalists, I did not follow competition production protocols, preventing me from being able to judge the competition fairly.”

“I cannot apologize enough to all involved, and I will be watching alongside you all on what I know will be one of the best seasons yet,” he continued.

Morrison formed part of the all-new judging panel on the show, alongside Jojo Siwa and Stephen Boss. The three replaced judges Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe, who was no longer able to return for the new season following his two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

Despite his departure, Morrison will still appear in “SYTYCD” episodes through mid-June, as most of the season’s early episodes have already been pre-taped. Fox has yet to announce his replacement, who is expected to join in the second leg of the season’s filming, which begins on June 15.