Actor Richard Burgi says he was let go from CBS’ soap opera The Young and the Restless after he “inadvertently” violated the show’s COVID policy.
Burgi announced on Jan. 9 that he would be leaving the show, a little less than a year after he joined long-running daytime drama. The Young and the Restless quickly recast the role of media mogul Ashland Locke with Guiding Light veteran Robert Newman, who makes his debut on the show later this week.
In an Instagram story Tuesday, Burgi said he was fired after he “naively and inadvertently violated the show’s COVID policies.” Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Burgi’s breach of virus protocols led to his firing.
Sony Pictures TV, which produces The Young and the Restless with Bell Dramatic Serial Company, declined comment.
Burgi, a veteran soap actor and former Desperate Housewives cast member, said he tested positive for COVID-19 over the holidays and “took the necessary five days” of quarantine recommended by the CDC. He said he received negative tests at the show’s studios on two consecutive days and then showed up to work.
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter