Paget Brewster Opens Up About Her Exit and Return to Criminal Minds

Paget Brewster has shared new insights into her complicated relationship with Criminal Minds, discussing both why she stepped away and what brought her back to the beloved procedural.

During a Monday episode of Kristin Davis's podcast Are You a Charlotte, Brewster opened up about the circumstances surrounding her initial departure. She explained that after the cast filmed a backdoor pilot for a spinoff, then-CBS President Les Moonves—who departed the network in 2018 following allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse—watched the episode for what appeared to be the first time in an extended period.

"We think he saw the show for the first time in years and just said, 'Oh, I don't like those women. Get rid of those women.' And so, A.J. Cook and I were fired," Brewster recalled.

Cook returned for a handful of episodes during season 6 before rejoining as a full-time cast member in season 7. Brewster was also brought back on a full-time basis but made the decision to leave after season 7, citing lingering frustration with the network.

"I really did hold on to that anger for too long," she reflected on the podcast. "It was an unhealthy thing to hold onto. Because A.J. and I were like, 'We were early, we knew our lines, we never got into fights.' We were really angry. I held onto the anger for too long, and after four years, I finally thought, 'Why am I not [on the show]? I love everyone there. I just don't like Les Moonves, and I never have to see him because he doesn't care about this show.'"

Brewster ultimately returned in season 12, taking over the role previously held by Thomas Gibson following his departure from the series.

During negotiations for her comeback, Brewster advocated for herself in contract discussions. She revealed that she had to push back on compensation, working to bring her episodic fee closer to what male cast members were earning.

"I was like, 'Well, I kind of have them over a barrel. They need me more than I need this show.' So, I got my episode fee way up from what it was," she said. She went on to use her leverage to help other female cast members, sharing her negotiated rate with them as a benchmark for their own contract talks, which resulted in significant raises across the board.

Brewster continues with the franchise, reprising her role in Criminal Minds: Evolution, which returns for season 19 on May 28.