Emilio Estevez has released a statement after it was revealed he won't be in the second season of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.
Estevez reprised his role of Coach Gordon Bombay for the Disney+ series but on Friday, Deadline reported that he wouldn't be back for the upcoming second season following a 'back and forth over the show's Covid-vaccination requirement'.
However, Estevez has now shared a statement in which he says he is not 'anti-vaxx' and him not returning to the show was 'nothing more than a good old-fashioned contract dispute' alongside a 'myriad of creative differences'.
He also revealed he had suffered from 'long-haul' coronavirus symptoms after contracting the virus in March last year.
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He told Deadline: "I am not anti-vaxx. Full stop.
"I take this pandemic very seriously, and I am often teased about my continued following of the safety protocols and my abundance of caution."
He continued: "In the final analysis, this was nothing more than a good old fashioned contract dispute and not, as some would believe, an anti-vaccine position."
He went on to say he contracted coronavirus after filming the pilot of the show in Vancouver and that over the summer and autumn of last year, Estevez said he was battling 'Long Haul Syndrome'.
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When filming returned in August, Estevez said he had concerns about how he would be able to stay safe on set.
The actor said he was reassured by producers that he would be safe while working, and was 'warned by my former reps about possible consequences and legal jeopardy I could face for not reporting to work as ordered'.
His statement continued: "In retrospect, I wrongly chose to protect the show over being transparent about having contracted Covid-19. I may have provided another public example to wit, how we are all vulnerable to this deadly disease."
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He told fans he was 'disappointed' with how things had turned out, adding: "My exit from the show was due to a myriad of creative differences - any other narrative is false.
"To the fans of the franchise - I am as disappointed as you are.
"To my Ducks cast and crew - have a wonderful season two on the show and please know that I will miss you all."
Featured Image Credit: Disney+Topics: TV and Film, Disney+