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Jennifer Esposito Placed on “Leave of Absence” from the CBS Hit “Blue Bloods”

October 22, 2012

Jennifer Esposito Placed on “Leave of Absence” from the CBS Hit “Blue Bloods”

The actress and celiac advocate calls the studio’s decision “absolutely shameful”; gluten-free community offers support on social media.

Celiac disease is at the center of a public feud between actress Jennifer Esposito and CBS TV Studios, and the gluten-free community has taken to social media to offer their support.

The dispute came front and center when Deadline Hollywood announced that Esposito’s character on the hit show “Blue Bloods” would be taking a “leave of absence.”

According to the article, CBS TV Studios made the decision after Esposito informed them she would only be able to work a “very limited part-time schedule.” Because this restrictive schedule would make her “unable to perform the demands of her role,” CBS placed her character, and subsequently Esposito, on a leave of absence.

Esposito fired back on Twitter, stating that CBS had placed her on an unpaid leave of absence that also prevents her from working anywhere else. According to her tweets, Esposito collapsed on set in front of the Blue Bloods cast and crew. When she was able to return to work a week later, CBS had already placed her on leave. She called the studio’s behavior “absolutely shameful.”

The feud quickly gained attention in the gluten-free community and among the general media. On Sunday, “celiac disease” was among the top trending searches on Google. Several gluten-free bloggers have posted on the topic, and Esposito has tweeted her thanks for their support.

To read Esposito’s tweets and get the full story, visit Entertainment Weekly online.

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