'American Gods' actor Orlando Jones says he was fired from show over race but producers insist it's because of plot
In September, Orlando Jones was fired from 'American Gods', alleging that the new showrunner Charles Eglee thought his character was sending "the wrong message for black America".
For months, former 'American Gods' star Orlando Jones kept mum about being let go from the series and how producer Fremantle and Starz Network handled his departure. But he had finally had enough and opened up about why he won't be seen in season 3.
Thank you #AmericanGods fans.
— Orlando Jones (@TheOrlandoJones) December 14, 2019
I know ya'll have LOTS of questions about the firing. As always I promise to tell you the truth and nothing but. ❤️ Always, Mr. Nancy🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/sDouoQlUMd
So he took to Twitter to tell his end of the story. "There will be no more Mr. Nancy. Don’t let these motherf***ers tell you they love Mr. Nancy. They don’t. I’m not going to name names but the new season 3 showrunner is Connecticut born and Yale-educated, so he’s very smart and he thinks that Mr. Nancy’s angry, get shit done is the wrong message for black America,” Jones said on Twitter. “This white man sits in that decision-making chair and I’m sure he has many black bffs who are his advisors and made it clear to him that if he did not get rid of that angry god Mr. Nancy he’d start a Denmark Vesey uprising in this country. I mean, what else could it be?” the actor, who served as a writer and producer on Season 2 said.
Correction: I was fired Sept 10, 2019 like @itsgabrielleu @OfficialMelB @NickCannon @heidiklum all have said @FremantleUS is a nightmare. They treated you like a 2nd class citizen for doing your job to well. Stay tuned. More to come. #AngryGetsShitDone pic.twitter.com/DQYtaMfs8O
— Orlando Jones (@TheOrlandoJones) December 14, 2019
However, after initially refusing to comment, a spokesperson for Fremantle took to addressing the allegations made by the star, saying, "Several new characters, many of which have already been announced, will be introduced into Shadow Moon’s world that will further contribute to the show’s legacy as one of the most diverse series on television."
A spokesperson for 'American Gods' noted that Jones' departure from the third season is not about race. “The storylines of 'American Gods' have continually shifted and evolved to reflect the complex mythology of the source material. Mr. Jones’ option was not picked up because Mr. Nancy, among other characters, is not featured in the portion of the book we are focusing on within Season 3,” they added.
Jones has received support from fans and followers of the show. Gabrielle Union, who was fired from the Fremantle-produced 'America's Got Talent' retweeted Jones and said, "Ohhhhhhhhhhh … let’s chat my friend. #StrongerTogether."