Paget Brewster admits she ‘sucked’ after public clash with TV critic
The 'Criminal Minds' star acknowledged her behaviour and apologised after her comments sparked controversy
Paget Brewster has apologised after facing backlash for attacking a critic who reviewed the latest changes to Criminal Minds.
The 57-year-old actress, who plays FBI Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss in the series, responded to a ScreenRant article written by critic Shealyn Scott titled “Paramount+’s Criminal Minds Format Change Finally Backfires.”
In the piece, Scott criticised the show’s shorter episode format, arguing that while the change may reduce filler content, it also limits some of the series’ developing storylines.
Paget reacted strongly to the review in a post on X, claiming negative coverage could affect the hundreds of people working on the production.
“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,” she wrote.
The actress then suggested alternative jobs for the critic, writing: “Sell vintage. Work at a shelter. Do something better than what you do now. Because right now you suck.”
Her comments quickly sparked criticism from members of the entertainment industry, with many defending Scott and questioning Paget’s response.
The Hollywood Reporter critic David Rooney called the exchange a “very bad look,” while ScreenRant’s Andy Behbakht said Paget owed Scott an apology.
Following the backlash, Paget returned to X to acknowledge her mistake and apologise directly.
“Hi guys, I was mean to Shealyn Scott last night and I profoundly regret it,” she wrote.
“Shame on me for insulting a human being for doing their job. 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.”
The apology received mixed reactions from fans, with some criticising the wording while others praised the actress for publicly taking responsibility.
One fan wrote that Paget “did the right thing” by apologising publicly, while another praised her for admitting she was wrong and accepting accountability.