Matthew Morrison reportedly fired from 'SYTYCD' for sending 'flirty' messages to contestant

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By Asiya Ali

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Matthew Morrison was reportedly fired from his role as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance after he apparently sent "flirty" messages to a female contestant.

The 43-year-old Glee star has two children with his wife of seven years, Renee Puente - a four-year-old son and an 11-month-old daughter.

As reported by PEOPLE, new details have emerged amid his sudden departure from his judging gig.

A source close to the Fox reality show told the publication that Morrison was fired from the series after he reportedly "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 said. "She felt uncomfortable with his line of comments and went to producers, who then got Fox involved. He was fired after they did their own investigation."

The source also added that the former judge and the unidentified female contestant "never met up off-set." They added: "It was just messages that crossed the line."

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Judges Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, JoJo Siwa, and Matthew Morrison. Credit: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy.

The Tony Award-nominated Broadway star announced his departure from SYTYCD on Friday (May 27), shortly after the dance competition series aired its season 17 premiere on May 18.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Morrison said that he was exiting the show after failing to follow "competition production protocols."

"Having the opportunity to be a judge on So You Think You Can Dance was an incredible honor for me. Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show," Morrison said in the statement.

"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," he continued. "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."

Morrison's departure comes after the season was already filmed therefore he will most likely appear in episodes through mid-June. According to Entertainment Weekly, his replacement is expected to be revealed for the second part of the competition's filming.

Season 17 had a new panel of judges that replaced Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy. Morrison was judging alongside YouTube star JoJo Siwa and dancer Stephen "tWitch" Boss. Cat Deeley returned as the host this season.

Featured image credit: Sipa US / Alamy.