“Criminal Minds” actress Paget Brewster found herself the focus of online attention after calling out a writer who did a feature about the procedural crime drama. Brewster took to social media and lashed out, but the post was later removed. The actress also apologized for her remarks, expressing how deeply she regretted insulting the writer.
Paget Brewster, who plays Emily Prentiss on “Criminal Minds,” issued a public apology to ScreenRant writer Shaelyn Scott on X after previously calling her out for an article she wrote in a post that has since been deleted.
“Hi guys, I was mean to Shealyn Scott last night and I profoundly regret it,” the actress wrote, adding that she felt ashamed for “insulting a human being for doing their job.” She then addressed Scott directly, writing, “I’m very sorry, Shealyn.”
“And I’m sorry to those who follow me that you saw me behave like that. Turns out, last night, I sucked,” Brewster concluded.
Scott acknowledged the post and replied on X, telling everyone that Paget reached out to her in addition to her public apology. “Criminal Minds is still one of my all-time favorite shows, and I’m very excited to continue covering s19 (and hopefully beyond!),” the writer added.
The Article That Triggered The ‘Criminal Minds’ Actress
On June 20, Scott published an article on ScreenRant titled “Paramount+’s Criminal Minds Format Change Finally Backfires.” In it, Scott shared her observations about the changes in the show after “Criminal Minds” transitioned from broadcast to streaming in 2022.
Brewster was only mentioned once in the entire article. “From details as small as a ratings change to TV-MA — which allows David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) and Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) the occasional heated expletive — to new main cast members like Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka), there’s no doubt that ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ has its own unique identity,” Scott wrote.
The shift to streaming reduced the number of “Criminal Minds” episodes by about half. Scott’s article focused on how that change negatively affected the show’s pacing. However, she also wrote about the plus-sides of shorter seasons.
Paget Brewster’s Reaction To The Article
On June 20, Brewster linked to Scott’s article and wrote, “Hello critic Shealynn Scott. You’re young. You don’t know that bad pics and bad reviews can lead to 350 people losing their jobs. Sell vintage. Work at a shelter. Do something better than what you do now. Because right now you suck.” She later deleted the post.
Writers and critics reacted negatively to Brewster’s remarks, with Scott’s colleague, Andy Behbakht, defending her, writing that Brewster showed “disgusting behavior” when she berated Scott and told her she sucked.
The Hollywood Reporter film critic David Rooney also replied to the “Criminal Minds” actress’ post and said she was “thin-skinned.” “An actor on a long-running show attacking a young reviewer who contextualizes her respectful criticisms with obvious knowledge of the material… ‘Work at a shelter,’ really?!”
ScreenRant’s PR Director Also Spoke About The Issue
Rob Keyes, the editorial, brand, and PR director of ScreenRant, posted on X and told his followers that he reached out to Brewster’s manager to get an explanation from the actress, adding, “I don’t take well to online harassment.”
Later, Keyes wrote on X that Scott’s piece on “Criminal Minds” was not even a review of the show. Instead, Keyes noted it was a feature article about “how the show would benefit from more episodes due to its storytelling.”
Many commended Brewster for apologizing to the writer, noting that celebrities are put on pedestals but that they, too, make mistakes. “She admitted she was wrong, apologized directly, and took responsibility. That’s more than a lot of public figures do,” one commented.
‘Criminal Minds’ Is On Its 19th Season
Brewster joined “Criminal Minds” as Emily Prentiss in Season 2 until Season 7. She returned for guest appearances in Seasons 9 and 11 and as a full-time cast member in Seasons 12 to 15. She is also part of the show’s revival on streaming.
“Criminal Minds” first aired in 2006 and concluded its 15-season run on CBS in 2020. The series was revived in 2020 as “Criminal Minds: Evolution” on Paramount+, bringing the long-running procedural into the streaming era. Now in its 19th season, with new episodes released weekly, the show has also been renewed for a 20th season.
