The chatter surrounding Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park's surprise exits from Hawaii Five-0 isn't dying down just yet.
Shortly after CBS issued a statement explaining their side of the story, the show's creator Peter M. Lenkov chimed in with a lengthy Twitter post, shedding more light on the unsuccessful contract negotiations between the network and the actors, who were reportedly seeking salary parity with costars Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan.
Addressing the "H50 Community" directly, Lenkov explained both actors were offered "unprecedented raises" by network, but "chose to move on."
"Thank you for all your messages and support over 7 seasons," he wrote. "We are all saddened by the Daniel and Grace news and I wanted to reach out to you directly. The truth is this: Both actors chose not to extend their contracts. CBS was extremely generous and proactive in their renegotiation talks. So much so, the actors were getting unprecedented raises, but in the end they chose to move on. No one wanted to see them go — they are irreplaceable. After being away from her family for seven years, I understood Grace's decision to leave. There was an opportunity for her to return for a handful of episodes, but for several reasons that didn't work out. In the end, everyone tried their best to keep the ohana intact. So much so, we were holding off from reporting the news, hoping an agreement could still be reached. Yes, it's heartbreaking, but this happens on long-running shows. It is a hurdle we all worked hard to overcome."
He went on to defend the show's history of diverse casting, likely in response to fans who've expressed their displeasure of the axing of two Asian-American actors in one fell swoop. "Over our 168 episodes, Hawaii Five-0 has and will continue to showcase one of the most diverse casts on TV," he continued. "Chi McBride, Jorge Garcia, Mark Damascus, Ian Anthony Dale, Will Yun Lee, Masi Oka, Dennis Chun, Taylor Wily, Shawn Garnett, Kimee Balmilero, Keko Kekumano, Shawn Anthony Thomsen, as well as Daniel and Grace… all of these great talents regulars or recurring. I'm proud of that roster and of our show."
Lenkov's message echoes much of the statement released earlier today by the network. "Daniel and Grace have been important and valued members of Hawaii Five-0 for seven seasons," the network said. "We did not want to lose them and tried very hard to keep them with offers for large and significant salary increases. While we could not reach an agreement, we part ways with tremendous respect for their talents on screen, as well as their roles as ambassadors for the show off screen, and with hopes to work with them again in the near future."
Both the network and Lenkov's statements come after Kim shared a lengthy Facebook post of his own, explaining his side of the story. "I will not be returning to Hawaii Five-0 when production starts next week. Though I made myself available to come back, CBS and I weren't able to agree to terms on a new contract, so I made the difficult choice not to continue," he said, later adding, "I'll end by saying that though transitions can be difficult, I encourage us all to look beyond the disappointment of this moment to the bigger picture. The path to equality is rarely easy."
While Kim's Chin Ho Kelly and Park's Kono won't be in the picture, the whereabouts of the characters will be revealed in the season premiere.
Hawaii Five-0 returns to CBS on Friday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m.