Criminal Minds star Thomas Gibson suspended for kicking a writer on set

Criminal Minds actor, Thomas Gibson.

Criminal Minds star and former Dharma & Greg favourite Thomas Gibson has been suspended from his hit TV show for assaulting a writer.

TMZ reports that Gibson, 54, was directing and acting in a scene a few weeks ago when he got into a creative dispute with one of the writers.

The website says Gibson "exploded in anger, kicking the writer in the leg".

The writer took the matter further and the network had no choice but to suspend Gibson, who has been away from set for two weeks already.

Gibson told TMZ that he was sorry for the assault but says it was "in retaliation" after the writer became "aggressive".

"There were creative differences on the set and a disagreement. I regret that it occurred. We all want to work together as a team to make the best show possible. We always have and always will," he said.

Gibson made headlines last time in 2013 when it was revealed that he had been catfished by a woman online. He even made an embarrassing hot tub video which he sent to the catfisher.

While many believed that meant he had cheated on his wife, Christine, the pair in fact had split but reside in the same house for the sake of their three children.

Gibson plays Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner on Criminal Minds, a supervisory special agent within the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit.

Gibson has been with the show since its pilot episode in September 2005.

He previously portrayed Greg Montgomery alongside Jenna Elfman in the sitcom Dharma & Greg.