Jeffrey Dean Morgan Shuts Down ‘Toxic’ Fan Reaction Over Melissa McBride’s ‘Walking Dead’ Spinoff Exit

Jeffrey Dean Morgan isn’t having it with “The Walking Dead” fans who are criticizing Melissa McBride’s exit from the upcoming spinoff about her character’s friendship with fellow fan favorite Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus).

“Some of you have gone WAY too far,” Morgan wrote on Twitter Thursday. “TOXIC. Attacking norm for crap he has NOTHING to do with? Melissa made a call that was hers alone. She wants/needs a break. Respect that. Factors involved that are nobody’s business. Norm, who’s given more than anyone to you all. Just SHITTY.”

The series was set to film in Europe this summer. In its statement, AMC wrote that relocating was “logistically untenable for Melissa at this time” and therefore she was “no longer able to participate” in the series.

Following the news, some social media users began to speculate if Reedus had asked for production to occur in Europe, prompting McBride to drop out.

In response to a fan who mentioned the speculation on Morgan’s first tweet, the actor followed up by insisting that “Norman had nothing to do with picking location.”

“That decision is all about story, ideas… MONEY,” he wrote. “That’s studio/network. Not actors. We can say yes and do, or no, and not do… MAYBE. SOMETIMES. If we’re lucky and don’t have contract yet. Rarely does actor have that power.”

McBride has played the beloved Carol Peletier on “The Walking Dead” since Season 1. The spinoff, which was originally announced in September 2020, will now seemingly focus only on Daryl. Morgan is also still involved with “The Walking Dead” universe. He has starred in several seasons of the flagship series and is also preparing for his own spinoff with Lauren Cohen.

While some fans of the series might be taking it too far, others are coming to Reedus’ defense. Longtime fan and actress Yvette Nicole Brown also took to social media on Thursday to shut down the rumors about McBride’s exit.

“I’m gonna say this once & w/my WHOLE chest, you can be upset & sad that the #TWD #CarolAndDaryl show may not be going forward — I sure am!” she wrote. “But what ya NOT gon’ do is wild out in my mentions or slander my friends — ANY of them. Gather yourselves or gather this block.”