Dream Tropes Wiki/Role-Ending Misdemeanor

Template:TropeA form of Real Life Writes the Plot.

The Role-Ending Misdemeanor occurs when, due to objectionable behavior or even outright criminal misconduct in the personal life of a performer or creator (and despite the trope name, some of these role enders are straight-up felonies), they are fired in order to protect a project's reputation, or in the case of an independent performer or creator, forced to leave the public scene because of the damage to their image. This could be an isolated incident and the result of bad luck, or the latest string of being difficult because the rest of the cast and crew simply would not put up with them any longer. If this person is a cast member on a long-running TV show, the character will probably be McLeaned. If they are too integral to the show's foundation, it could end the project altogether.

In some cases this is done as a desperate gambit to force the rejected star into getting help for a booze or drugs problem. It rarely works. But if they get their act together, it's not unheard of for a person like them to make a return appearance somewhere down the line.

In other cases, they may actually be innocent of any wrong-doings and their name has unfortunately become associated with bad press; they're Convicted by Public Opinion. Or that perceived behind-the-scenes trouble is the excuse used and they are actually The Scapegoat for a more complicated problem.

See also Undermined by Reality, Actor Existence Limbo, Contractual Purity, Overshadowed by Controversy and Creator Killer. Contrast No Such Thing as Bad Publicity, Controversy-Proof Image, and The Tyson Zone.

## Examples

### Comic Books

* John Duarte, the original writer for the Puerto Changuese *Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat* comic, was fired after the Sesame Workshop higher-ups found out he was going to usurp the story from Sagwa and her brother and sister with an American girl living in the Magistrate's village named Missy. Missy was however kept in the comic thanks to insistence from the publisher.
	+ Zooma, the comic's third drawer, was fired in 2017 in the wake of the Weinstein effect after sexual assault allegations came in. He then apologized to his accusers for his actions and afterwards he shut down his social media accounts and moved to Sweden.
* The El Kadsreian Disney comics have had these examples:
	+ Joggerman, the artist for the *PB&J Otter* comic by Exclamation Comics, was fired after it was discovered he was a member of a real-life, incredibly dangerous doomsday cult.
	+ Tim Kurosaki, the artist for the *Recess* comic also by Exclamation, was replaced with Adhemar Prebensen after Tim was arrested over possession of child pornography.

### Sports

* Major League Women's Baseball has had this happen a lot:
	+ In 2018, Washington Gypsies shortstop Andrea Week was temporarily suspended from the team after she was kicked out of the #MeToo movement after it was discovered that she made up allegations against MLB player Adeiny Hechavarria.

### Live-Action TV

* Wonder why the first edition of the special "Return of the Eliminated" episodes of *Hell's Kitchen Philippines* never had an appearance of Season 1 Red Team member Tommy Ngai, who was eliminated after 5th Service for failing to make meatloaf twice? Well, Tommy was involved in all sorts of legal problems after being eliminated, including punching an anti-globalization demonstrator in the face and, the most damaging of all, being arrested for child pornography possession.

### Western Animation

* Gaizka Vergara, the Basque voice of Andy in *What's With Andy?*, was arrested in 2003 after being involved with the Template:W in various kale borroka actions. As a result, he was Darrin'd as Andy by Iker Diaz with his other roles (in both Basque and Spanish) taken over by other voice actors. Gaizka eventually was released in 2010 on good behavior, and returned to voice acting in 2014 at the insistence of his brother's son (during 2011-2013, Gaizka had denounced the ETA and Basque separatists while also calling for Basque activists to work with Spanish authorities in curbing terrorism).

### Other

* The El Kadsreian Quitline ended their *Every cigarette is doing you damage* campaign after Fuse Special Effects had a pay dispute with the Quitline's organizers and the R.M. Films ad agency. Shortly afterwards, anti-tobacco activist Rick O. Amuro, who conceptualized the ads, was arrested for possessing child pornography.