Gillian Anderson has hit back at claims that The Crown bosses were "forced to rewrite the script" of the upcoming series because she refused to take part.
It was said that the actress, who played prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the Netflix drama, would be returning for the next season but decided to pull out unexpectedly, which was a “blow” to production.
However, she rubbished claims in an update on Twitter on Monday, calling the reports “absolute b*****ks”.
Reports had claimed that producers were thrown into chaos because the 54-year-old star, who won an Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy for the role, failed to return.
The insider reportedly said: “Gillian’s portrayal of Thatcher was met with global critical acclaim and she was a huge asset to The Crown.
Absolute bollocks https://t.co/MBh4XdzruD
— Gillian Anderson (@GillianA) April 10, 2023
“It had been hoped she would be able to make an appearance in scenes around the golden wedding but sadly that has not been the case due to scheduling issues.”
They continued: “It’s been another blow for producers in what’s already been a fairly dogged production.”
The publication claimed that the original script planned for the show to recreate a dinner held by the Queen and Philip, attended by a host of dignitaries, including Thatcher.
But due to Anderson’s absence, executives were said to have switched it to a different dinner, in which the late prime minister was not in attendance.
However, her spokesperson has since stated: “Gillian Anderson was never intended to return as Margaret Thatcher.”
The sixth and final season of The Crown will centre around the events leading up to Princess Diana’s 1997 death and is expected to air towards the end of the year.
It will see the return of Elizabeth Debicki in the role depicting the year of the princess’s death.
