Orlando Jones Claims He Was Fired From American Gods, Production Company Releases Statement in Response

Earlier this weekend, Orlando Jones posted a video rant on his Twitter account (see below, language is NSFW) where he claims he was fired from the Starz TV series, American Gods, and that he won’t be returning for the show’s third season as Mr. Nancy. Jones also took aim at showrunner Charles Eglee, and alleged that Eglee thought the Mr. Nancy character sent “the wrong message” to “black America.”

Orlando Jones stated the following in his rant (via TV Line):

“There will be no more Mr. Nancy. Don’t let these motherf—kers tell you they love Mr. Nancy. They don’t. I’m not going to name names but the new Season 3 showrunner [Charles “Chic” Eglee] is Connecticut born and Yale-educated, so he’s very smart and he thinks that Mr. Nancy’s angry, get s—t done [attitude] is the wrong message for black America. That’s right. 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 they 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?

“To the wonderful Neil Gaiman, thank you for allowing me to play this role, for writing this wonderful book, for opening the door for me to become a writer/producer on Season 2 of American Gods, thank you sir. To the magnificent Bryan Fuller and the incredible Michael Green, thank you for creating this series and for allowing me, also, to become Mr. Nancy. I hope the fans enjoyed it because really this is about you. I hope you loved it as much as I loved doing it.”

In a followup tweet, Jones said he was fired on September 10, 2019. He also added how other talents have called the show’s production company, Fremantle, a “nightmare” to work with. He wrote, “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”

Thank you #AmericanGods fans.
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

— Orlando Jones (@TheOrlandoJones) December 14, 2019

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

Later on, former American Gods showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green showed their support for Orlando Jones on Twitter. Fuller wrote, “HEARTBREAKING. I loved every minute of working with this wonderful man.” Green tweeted, “His talent is [fire] and his [fire] is essential.” Fuller also wrote on Jones, “[Jones is] a pro, a thoughtful creative partner, an insightful storyteller and a remarkable human being.”

HEARTBREAKING

— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) December 14, 2019

I loved every minute of working with this wonderful man. His talent is 🔥🔥 and his 🔥🔥 is essential.

— Michael Green (@andmichaelgreen) December 14, 2019

Later on, a spokesperson for the drama, produced by Fremantle, issued a statement to TV Line. According to the statement, Jones’ option for a third season was not picked up because the upcoming season is focusing on a part of the book that does not include the character of Mr. Nancy, as well as other character who appeared in the show’s first two seasons. The statement reads as follows:

“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 three. 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.”