Why did Luke Grimes leave True Blood?

The premiere of the final season of True Blood had a few surprises, including the recasting of vampire James, who was originally played by Luke Grimes. The role now belongs to Nathan Parsons.

A publicist for Grimes insists his departure is the result of scheduling conflicts. The actor is also juggling filming of Fifty Shades of Grey, Shangri-La Suite and American Sniper.

However, an HBO spokesperson claims, “The role of James is being recast due to the creative direction of the character.”

A source “close to the situation” tells TV Line, “[Grimes] initially joined the show because he wanted to work with [his Forever co-star] Deborah Ann Woll. But when he started reading the scripts for Season 7, he was disappointed to learn that they were going in a completely different direction with James.”

Since the direction True Blood is taking James will probably have him landing on Lafayette’s dick before mid-season, is the real reason Grimes decided to leave the show rooted in homophobia?

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