Q: I heard that the actor who plays Hotch on "Criminal Minds" got in some trouble the other day. What happened? Also, my mom insists she remembers he starred in a soap. Is she right? If so, which show was he on? — Lawrence, Louisville, Ky.

A: Thomas Gibson, who has starred on "Criminal Minds" for 12 seasons, was suspended after kicking a writer. It appears he was unhappy with a storyline. Actors can get temperamental about the writing. TV scribes often put up with actors torching, tearing and trashing their words. Like family arguments, these things usually stay inside the set. But kicking a writer in the leg is not part of the usual "this script is garbage" routine.

The writer, who was mad as hell and was not going to take it anymore, contacted his agent. The agent called CBS honchos, and presto: Gibson was placed on an unpaid vacation. Since he makes a reported $120,OOO-plus an episode, this is a big "go stand in the corner" punishment. The episodes he has missed have been reworked. Stories that featured Hotch have been given to other characters. No word when he will be back on set.

This is not the first time the Julliard graduate made unwanted headlines. In 2013, he was catfished. Gibson, who is married, had carried on an internet romance with a woman for two years. Gibson says it was strictly online. Sadly, it did not stay that way. When Gibson told the woman to stop contacting him, she contacted the press. A video of Gibson in a hot tub saying he was looking for love (while his wife and young children were upstairs) made the rounds, from National Enquirer to TMZ. Gibson, who has done several soap operas, should have known about the woman-scorned scenario.

Having met the woman via Twitter he decided to shut down his account. Later that year, CBS told him they wanted him to be on Twitter so fans could contact him. For the most part, Gibson was immediately trolled by users who sent him photos ridiculing his catfishing scandal. That was it for Gibson. He told CBS he was quitting the site for good. Before he quit, Gibson did remark on his internet drama. He claimed the video of him in a hot tub asking for some loving was "spliced" and then went on to say it was "nobody's business." True, but when you're on a hit series, it often become everybody's business.

Gibson, who started acting at age 10, starred in "Dharma and Greg" and "Chicago Hope." As for his soap work, like many New York actors, he did soaps during the day and then appeared on Broadway at night.

On "Another World," he played good guy Sam Fowler. On "As the World Turns," he played Derek, Lily's not-so-good-guy boyfriend. In the beginning he was a romantic hero, but by the end of his turn on "As the World Turns" he was a homicidal maniac.

In real life, the father of three has been married to his wife, Christine, since 1993. During the catfish issue he was very clear that he never cheated on his wife. Still together, the couple calls Texas home.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.