Terry Crews says Brooklyn Nine-Nine scrapped episodes from new season after George Floyd's death

Brooklyn Nine-Nine threw numerous episodes for its upcoming eighth season "in the trash" following "lots of somber talks" about the current political situation, series star Terry Crews revealed.

The actor, who plays Lieutenant Terry Jeffords in the popular NBC cop comedy, told Access on Tuesday that showrunner Dan Goor decided to start from scratch after scrapping four episodes. This came after the cast had frank conversations about Black Lives Matter and police brutality following the May 25th death of George Floyd, an African American man, at the hands of a white cop in Minneapolis.

“We’ve had a lot of somber talks about it and deep conversations and we hope through this we’re going to make something that will be truly groundbreaking this year. We have an opportunity and we plan to use it in the best way possible,” Crews said. “Our showrunner Dan Goor, they had four episodes all ready to go and they just threw them in the trash. We have to start over. Right now we don’t know which direction it’s going to go in."

Crews did not elaborate on the content of the four episodes. NBC and the actor's reps had no comment.

Crews, who also hosts America's Got Talent, called the recent upheaval and protests over Floyd's death "Black America's #MeToo movement."

“We always knew this was happening, but now, white people are understanding," he added.

In early June, Goor and the stars of Brooklyn 99 announced that they donated $100,000 to the National Bail Fund Network in solidarity with protestors. In a statement posted on social media by cast members including Crews, Stephanie Beatriz, Andy Samberg, and Andre Braugher, as well as Goor, the B99 team said they "condemn the murder of George Floyd and support the many people who are protesting police brutality nationally."

The donation followed vocal cries on social media for actors who have played cops to contribute to organizations supporting protestors, given that their performances have helped shape public opinion about law enforcement.

The public outcry has led many networks to address criticisms of their depiction of police. Recently, Cops was canceled after 31 years on the air, and not long after, A&E canned Live PD.

Additional reporting by Dan Snierson.

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