Actors and critics don’t always see eye to eye, but most know better than to publicly eviscerate someone for doing their job. Paget Brewster apparently forgot that memo—at least for one heated evening on social media.
The Criminal Minds: Evolution star went after Shealyn Scott, a senior writer for Screenrant, over a review titled“Paramount+’s Criminal Minds Format Change Finally Backfires.”Scott’s critique centered on a legitimate complaint: the show’s shift from 20+ episode seasons on traditional television to 10-episode runs on the streaming platform. Fair point, reasonable review—exactly the kind of thing critics are supposed to do. But Brewster wasn’t in a reasonable mood.
On X, she fired off:“You’re young. You don’t know that bad pics and bad reviews can lead to 350 people losing their jobs. Sell vintage. Work at a shelter. Do something better than what you do now. Because right now you suck.”The“bad pics”complaint fell especially flat since Screenrant used approved stills from CBS—standard promotional material designed for media coverage. If there’s an issue with imagery, it lands with the network’s PR team, not a writer using what’s provided.
By Sunday, cooler heads prevailed. Brewster took to X again with an apology that carried genuine remorse:“Hi guys, I was mean to Shealyn Scott last night and I profoundly regret it. 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.”
It’s a solid walk-back—no excuses, just acknowledgment and contrition. Whether Scott accepts the olive branch remains to be seen, but Brewster’s willingness to publicly own the misstep is a good reminder that even people in the spotlight can get it wrong and actually admit it.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.