What Happened To Thomas Gibson After His Criminal Minds Firing?

After the end of his tenure on Criminal Minds in 2016, Thomas Gibson has kept a lower profile in public life. However, he has not entirely disappeared from the limelight. Since then, Gibson has made a series of film appearances, including the 2017 film Axis, in which he voiced the character Joseph, and the 2019 movie Shadow Wolves, where he played an NSA agent assisting a Native American tracking unit.

Additionally, he starred in the 2019 film The Writer's Bible, which he co-wrote, though it has yet to be released. Gibson has also explored theater, taking part in the 2024 off-Broadway production of Ibsen's Ghost and the 2025 Chicago run of Henry Johnson, a Mamet play about a man jailed for embezzlement. The latter's production of Gibson's performance as Gene received praise from reviewers.

Gibson's firing from the hit series occurred following an incident where he reportedly hit one of the show's writers in a heated argument. This was not his first such altercation; he had also faced anger management classes in 2010 after a similar incident with an assistant director. The tensions between Gibson and his former co-star Shemar Moore were reportedly heightened, leading Moore to post a video on Instagram expressing belief in karma after Gibson's termination.

Gibson was reportedly unhappy about the decision and had considered legal action against CBS and the show, though the lawsuit did not progress. Gibson stated he felt years of hard work were undone in a single moment. Although Gibson accused the show of trying to erase him, the crew maintained they had their reasons for his departure, saying it lifted a "dark cloud" from the series.