F. Murray Abraham is apologizing after reportedly being removed from Apple TV+'s "Mythic Quest" series following sexual misconduct complaints.
In an emailed statement to USA TODAY Thursday, Abraham offered a "sincere and deeply felt apology," days after Rolling Stone reported Monday that the actor's exit from the TV series, announced last April, was due to sexual misconduct complaints.
"Though never my intention to offend anyone, I told jokes, nothing more, that upset some of my colleagues and as a result lost a great job with wonderful people," he wrote. "I have grown in my understanding from this experience, and I hope they will forgive me."
Abraham's reps confirmed that the Oscar-winning actor's apology was in response to the circumstances surrounding his "Mythic Quest" exit.
Lionsgate announced last April Abraham would not be included in Season 3 of the workplace comedy starring Rob McElhenney, Danny Pudi, David Hornsby and Charlotte Nicdao, according to Deadline and Vanity Fair without further explanation at the time.
"We take allegations of misconduct seriously and investigate them thoroughly," a Lionsgate spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement. "As a matter of corporate policy, we do not discuss personnel actions."
Season 3 of the show aired in November without Abraham's character C.W. Longbottom, who is killed off in the first episode through a letter saying he drove off a cliff after learning of a terminal illness.
"It’s a bummer to not have Murray in this season," star and producer McElhenney told Variety in May. "But we recognize that C.W. is a beloved character and obviously a huge part of the show. So, we made sure that we have a really fitting tribute to him. We definitely address it in a big way."
News of Abraham's "Mythic" exit came before Season 2 of HBO's critically acclaimed "White Lotus" aired with his role as Bert Di Grasso, a family patriarch with antiquated dating views who joins his son and grandson on a trip to Sicily.
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