Paget Brewster Opens Up About Her Criminal Minds Firing — and the Pay Battle That Followed
Axed, then back again: Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster revisits her midseries firing and surprise return, sharing the behind-the-scenes whiplash on Kristin Davis' Are You a Charlotte? podcast.
Paget Brewster just laid out the whole messy saga of how she and A.J. Cook got bounced from Criminal Minds, why she walked away again even after they asked her back, and what finally pulled her into the revival. There are some eyebrow-raising network stories in here, plus a savvy pay fight that paid off for more than just her.
How we got here
On Kristin Davis' podcast 'Are You a Charlotte?' (the Monday, April 27 episode), Brewster, 57, revisited the decision-making that pushed her off the CBS hit and eventually brought her back as Emily Prentiss, a character she has played since season 2.
The way she tells it, things went sideways during a backdoor pilot — one of those episodes built to test-drive a potential spinoff. Brewster says that when then-CBS boss Les Moonves saw that episode, he had not checked in on the show in a while. Her understanding: his snap judgment cost two women their jobs.
'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."'
According to Brewster, that is how both she and A.J. Cook, 47, who plays Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau, ended up out after season 5 in 2010. For context: Moonves, 76, resigned as CBS chairman and CEO in 2018 following allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and abuse.
The short version (with dates)
- 2010: After season 5, Brewster and Cook are let go. Brewster says her agent went to war with CBS; she returns for several episodes in season 6.
- 2011-2012: Cook comes back full-time in season 7. Brewster says she was asked to return as well but left after season 7 in 2012 because she was still furious with the network.
- Post-2012: Brewster leans into comedy work, popping up on shows like Grandfathered, Community, and Another Period.
- 2016 (season 12): After Thomas Gibson, 63, is fired for an altercation with a producer, Brewster returns. Gibson played Aaron Hotchner, the BAU chief; Prentiss steps in to lead the team.
- 2020: Criminal Minds ends after season 15.
- 2022: Paramount+ revives it as Criminal Minds: Evolution. Brewster is back with the core cast.
- New chapter: Criminal Minds season 19 premieres on Paramount+ on May 28.
Why she left — and why she came back
Brewster says she turned down a full-time return after season 7 because she was 'so mad' at how everything went down. It took a few years for that to cool off. Looking back, she admits she held the grudge longer than was healthy, especially since she and Cook prided themselves on being prepared and low-drama on set.
'I really did hold on to that anger for too long... 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.'
The pay push
Before saying yes to season 12, Brewster pushed for a raise. She says she demanded to get her episodic fee closer to what the men were making, arguing that the women had always been paid less. She also shared her new rate with her female co-stars when their contracts came up, which she says helped them secure substantial raises too. Not subtle, very effective.
Where it stands now
Criminal Minds came back as Criminal Minds: Evolution in 2022, and Brewster is front and center again as Prentiss. The next batch — officially season 19 — drops May 28 on Paramount+.