Emilio Estevez Speaks Out On Mighty Ducks Exit, Denies He’s Anti-Vax

Emilio Estevez speaks out on Mighty Ducks exit and denies that he’s anti-vax, citing the main reason being due to a myriad of creative differences.

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Actor Emilio Estevez has issued a statement in regards to his exit from The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, saying he is not anti-vax. Estevez starred in the first season of the Disney+ show, returning as Gordon Bombay, the character he played in three of the prior films, 1992’s The Mighty Ducks, 1994’s D2: The Mighty Ducks, and 1996’s D3: The Mighty Ducks. In the new series, Bombay is now the owner of a run-down ice rink who reluctantly helps out a group of kids trying to form their own hockey team, which they call the Don’t Bothers.

It was reported last week that Estevez was leaving the show, although the exact reasons weren’t confirmed. Initially, it was said that Estevez’s exit came after a weeks-long back and forth debate with his representation pertaining to the show’s COVID vaccination requirement. Sources close to Estevez, however, said that the actor was leaving due to creative differences, more so than anything to do with the vaccine requirement. The news prompted the discussion of whether Estevez was anti-vax, which perpetuated over the weekend, but now the actor is making it clear.

In a statement to Deadline, Estevez has made it clear that he is not anti-vax, but “anti bully,” citing “nothing more than a good old fashioned contract dispute” as well as “a myriad of creative differences” as the main reason behind his leaving the show. The lengthy statement also goes into great deal about the actor’s own Covid-19 battle, which he contracted in Spring 2020, saying he suffered from “Long Haul Syndrome” of the virus. The statement doesn’t make any mention of how the actor feels about vaccines, but goes into great detail about his feelings about the disease as it pertains to the production of the show. He ultimately states that he’s as “disappointed” as fans are that he won’t be coming back, while still cheering on the second season of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. Read Estevez’s full statement below:

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.

I want to address what transpired and clear up some falsehoods which appeared in an article regarding my decision to depart “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.”

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.

While I can’t speak for anyone else in regards to this polarizing, sensitive issue, I have my own lived experience.

In late February 2020, at the end of shooting the pilot for the “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” in Vancouver, I wasn’t feeling 100%. I chalked it up to being on a cold set and on an ice rink day after day.

I drove to Vancouver for the pilot, due to news of “an emerging disease,” which would eventually be known as “Covid 19.” My decision to drive there and back was to avoid mass crowds and international airports. I already started wearing face coverings, gloves and using hand sanitizer. I also genuinely love driving across and around America, as anyone who knows me can attest.

En route from Vancouver to Los Angeles I became noticeably ill. Once back in L.A. I begged several doctors to be tested for this new variant of flu. I was assured that “I didn’t meet the criteria,” or “There’s no way you have it.” After multiple efforts, I finally received a car side Covid 19 PCR test on March 13, 2020. I continued to become increasingly sick, suffering from fever, sweats, brain fog and mood swings.

On March 17, 2020 I got word I had indeed contracted Covid 19. Thankfully I refrained from visiting my elderly parents and others until I received my results. I had discussions with doctors and contact tracing personnel from the L.A. County Department of Health.

I suffered the summer and fall of 2020 from what we now know as “Long Haul Syndrome.”

As the show went back into production in August 2020, I reluctantly soldiered on, but was uncertain about how I would be safe on set. I questioned the wisdom of returning to make a tv show in the middle of a pandemic and how actors could be considered “essential workers.”

The show producers tried their best to assuage my fears of coming back to work. “You have natural immunity!” “You’ll be the safest one on set,” I was repeatedly told. Additionally, I was warned by my former reps about possible consequences and legal jeopardy I could face for not reporting to work as ordered.

So, I returned to Vancouver. I followed the Canadian quarantine mandate as well as the strict “Zone A” on set Covid protocols. I did not complain, nor did I release my diagnosis to the public. I wanted to try and preserve the show morale and be a leader, however, while still suffering from Long Haul Syndrome. The legacy of the franchise was more important to me than my own health.

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.

The quoted “anonymous sources,” producers and show runners all know the truth.

Simply put, I am anti-bully.

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 2 on the show and please know that I will miss you all.

It was an honor and a thrill to be able to return as the iconic and beloved character, Gordon Bombay, a character which has been a celebrated benchmark in my 40 year career. And I thank the studio and the producers for creating an opportunity to allow me to visit him again.

Ducks Fly Together!

While Estevez confirms he is not anti-vax and did not leave the show because of it, the issue of vaccine mandates is a hot-button topic at the moment, with both sides of the argument citing a number of different and complex issues surrounding them. Ice Cube recently left a Netflix deal due to vaccine requirements, and this likely won’t be the last time that talent exits a show over pandemic guidelines and/or vaccine mandates. Hollywood has struggled to find its footing on productions ever since the pandemic took hold, but has quickly begun to adopt different safety measures as time moves on, from vaccines, to masks, to sanitizing and beyond. It’s still unclear how Covid-era mandates will continue to affect production in the long haul, but it’s a situation that continues to cause debate on how exactly to proceed, with studios, talent, and crew all clashing about the best way to handle mandates and safety measures for the foreseeable future.

Estevez, the son of actor Martin Sheen, and brother of actor Charlie Sheen, has worked in Hollywood since the early ’80s, starring in a number of key films of the era, including The Breakfast Club, Repo Man, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Stakeout. He has taken a back seat to acting in the past few decades, opting to spend more time behind the camera as a director, making such films as Bobby, The Way, and The Public. So, his return to the role of Coach Bombay was a pleasant surprise to those who grew up watching the Mighty Ducks franchise. Now, with his exit from The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, it will be interesting to see if he opts to seek out another role and continue acting or focus on directing.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/mighty-ducks-game-changers-emilio-estevez-exit-response/