Following his abrupt exit from So You Think You Can Dance, ex-judge Matthew Morrison has addressed speculation that he had an inappropriate relationship with a Season 17 contestant.
In an Instagram video posted Thursday night, Morrison appears to obliquely address a recent People article in which an unnamed source claimed Morrison was let go from the Fox series for sending “flirty direct messages” to a female competitor. After calling the allegations “blatantly untrue,” Morrison reads aloud “the one message” he says he sent to a contestant.
“‘Hey, it’s Matthew. If you don’t mind, would love to get your number and talk you through some things.’ The end,” Morrison recites. “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.
“It’s devastating that we live in this world where gossip rules and people’s lives are being thrown around as clickbait,” he continues. “I think this is much bigger than me and this story. Gossip is toxic and it is destroying our society, and we need to do better.”
Morrison confirmed his exit from the dancing competition on May 27, just a week after making his debut as a judge in the Season 17 premiere. Morrison said in a statement at the time: “I did not follow competition production protocols, preventing me from being able to judge the competition fairly.”
Morrison was part of an all-new SYTYCD judging panel alongside former contestant Stephen “tWitch” Boss and JoJo Siwa for Season 17, the show’s first season in three years. Since the season’s early episodes are all pre-taped, Morrison will continue to appear through mid-June. A replacement for him on the judging panel is still in the works.
“I cannot apologize enough to all involved,” Morrison said in his statement last week, “and I will be watching alongside you all on what I know will be one of the best seasons yet.”
