NEWS'Criminal Minds' Star Paget Brewster Bites Back at TV Critic Over Review: 'Work at a Shelter'
Paget Brewster sparked controversy after criticizing a journalist over a 'Criminal Minds' review.
June 22 2026, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Paget Brewster found herself at the center of controversy after responding to a TV critic who shared concerns about changes made to Criminal Minds since its move to Paramount+.
The actress, who starred as Emily Prentiss on the long-running crime drama, reacted to a review written by ScreenRant staffer Shealyn Scott. In the article, Scott discussed how the series had evolved since transitioning from network television to streaming.
Paget Brewster criticized a journalist who published a review discussing changes to ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution.’
Brewster did not hold back in her response.
“Hello critic Shealynn Scott,” Brewster wrote in the since-deleted post on Saturday, June 20. “You’re young. You don’t know that bad pics and bad reviews can lead to 350 people losing their jobs. Sell vintage. Work at a shelter. Do something better than what you do now. Because right now you suck.”
Fellow Journalists Defend the Critic
Brewster’s comments quickly sparked backlash from fellow entertainment journalists, who came to Scott’s defense online.
Senior ScreenRant writer Andy Behbakht criticized the actress for publicly targeting a younger reporter.
“This is disgusting behavior on your part, and really tragic to see you tearing down a young female journalist whom you are literally telling that she ‘sucks’ and that she shouldn’t be in the field that she is in. I stand by my colleague, and you owe her an apology,” she penned.
Others in the media world also weighed in.
David Rooney, chief film critic at The Hollywood Reporter, shared his thoughts on the situation.
“This is a very bad look. An actor on a long-running show attacking a young reviewer who contextualizes her respectful criticisms with obvious knowledge of the material — says way more about u being thin-skinned than it does about her professionalism. ‘Work at a shelter,’ really?!” he ranted.
The Review That Sparked the Dispute
The writer's article examined how the series changed after moving from CBS to Paramount+ and adopting a streaming format.
Scott's article focused on how Criminal Minds changed after its original run ended on CBS in 2020.
The beloved procedural wrapped up with its 15th season before returning in 2022 on Paramount+ under the new title Criminal Minds: Evolution.
Scott titled her piece Paramount+'s Criminal Minds Format Change Finally Backfires and reflected on how the streaming version differs from the original series.
“Countless fans mourned the end of Criminal Minds after the Season 15 finale,” she wrote in the introduction.
She later acknowledged that the reboot had developed its own identity.
“From details as small as a ratings change to TV-MA — which allows David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) and Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) the occasional heated expletive — to new main cast members like Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka), there's no doubt that Criminal Minds: Evolution has its own unique identity.”
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Brewster Issues a Public Apology
Paget Brewster later issued a public apology on X, admitting she was wrong for attacking someone for doing their job.
Less than 24 hours later, Brewster returned to social media to apologize for her comments.
The actress admitted she crossed a line and expressed regret for how she handled the situation.
“Hi guys, I was mean to Shealyn Scott last night and I profoundly regret it. Shame on me for insulting a human being for doing their job. I’m very sorry, Shealyn. And I’m sorry to those who follow me that you saw me behave like that. Turns out, last night, I sucked,” she wrote on X.
Scott Accepts the Apology
Shealyn Scott confirmed that Paget Brewster also apologized privately.
Scott later revealed that Brewster had also contacted her via DM.
The writer made it clear there were no hard feelings and shared that she remains a longtime fan of the series.
“To be clear, Paget also reached out privately to apologize to me! Criminal Minds is still one of my all-time favorite shows, and I’m very excited to continue covering s19 (and hopefully beyond!),” Scott wrote via X.
