So You Think You Can Dance returned after a three-year hiatus with all-new judges and a brand-new scandal. The new judging panel for Season 17 consisted of Stephen “tWitch” Boss, JoJo Siwa, and Matthew Morrison. tWitch was a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, so he knows all about the competition.
JoJo appeared on Season 30 of Dancing with the Stars and was the first contestant to have a same-sex partner. JoJo’s partner, Jenna Johnson, was once a contestant on SYTYCD. Interesting, right?
Then we have Matthew. He is not only a Broadway star but also starred on the TV show, Glee. Shortly after the SYTYCD premiere, Matthew announced in a statement on May 27, 2022, that he was leaving his new gig. “Having the opportunity to be a judge on So You Think You Can Dance was an incredible honor for me,” Matthew said in the statement. “Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show.” That was a shocker.
“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,” Matthew stated. “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 added.
Now we are learning more about what protocols Matthew broke. An insider close to So You Think You Can Dance alleged that Matthew was actually fired because he had “an inappropriate relationship” with a female contestant. “They didn’t have sex, but he reached out to her through flirty direct messages on social media,” the source claimed.
The contestant felt uneasy and went to producers about the messages. After the producers involved Fox, they completed their own investigation and pink-slipped Matthew. Matthew is married with kids, which makes this doubly inappropriate. The audition rounds of the show are pre-taped, so Matthew will be gracing our TV screens until the live competition begins.
Page Six reported that Matthew is speaking out about losing his job. In an Instagram video, Matthew said, “It’s really unfortunate that I have to sit here and defend myself and my family against blatantly untrue statements made anonymously, but I have nothing to hide.”
He continued, “So, in the interest of transparency, I will read to you the one message that I wrote to a dancer on the show.”
RELATED: Matthew Morrison Fired From So You Think You Can Dance For “Inappropriate Relationship With Female Contestant”
Matthew read the supposed text but did not show any any screenshots or his actual phone to the camera. They’re called receipts, Matthew. And we really need them at this point.
“Hey! It’s Matthew. If you don’t mind, would love to get your number and talk you through some things,” Matthew stated. Matthew claimed that he and the contestant “share a mutual respect” for the same choreographer. That is still inappropriate.
Matthew continued, “I’ve known her [the choreographer] for over 20 years and was trying to help her get a job as a choreographer on the show.” The former judge added, “It’s devastating that we live in this world where gossip rules and people’s lives are being thrown around as clickbait.”
Page Six reached out to both Fox and Matthew for comment.
There is no word on who will be taking Matthew’s seat at the judges’ table when the live competition begins.
TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MATTHEW’S SIDE OF THE STORY? DO YOU BELIEVE HIM? WAS HIS MESSAGE INAPPROPRIATE?
[Photo Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Image]