A cast member of the TV series The Flash won’t be returning to the Vancouver-based Arrowverse set for the next season.

Hartley Sawyer has played Ralph Dibny, a.k.a. Elongated Man, since Season 4 in 2017. He began as a recurring character but was made a series regular for Season 5 and 6. But he won’t be portraying the character in Season 7.

After several past social media posts with racist, misogynist, and homophobic references by Sawyer emerged, a statement was issued by Warner Bros. TV, the CW, Berlanti Productions, and executive producer Eric Wallace to announce that the 35-year-old Sawyer is no longer with the show.

“In regards to Mr. Sawyer’s posts on social media, we do not tolerate derogatory remarks that target any race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation,” the statement reads. “Such remarks are antithetical to our values and policies, which strive and evolve to promote a safe, inclusive and productive environment for our workforce.”

The posts were allegedly made before Sawyer joined the show but screenshots had been circulated on social media.

Some of the tweets contain references to date rape, kidnapping homeless women, mutilation, domestic abuse, U.S. civil rights activist Al Sharpton, African Americans in prison, and homophobic slurs.

Sawyer posted an apology on May 30. He explained that his words were meant with humour but he acknowledged that they were "hurtful, and unacceptable".

"I am incredibly sorry, ashamed and disappointed in myself for my ignorance back then," he said.

He added that what he said in the past does not reflect who he is now, as others have helped him become a more "responsible adult".

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0qvHunr8J

Wallace posted a statement on social media to express his reaction and to connect this issue with the problem that the current widespread protests are attempting to address.

https://twitter.com/ewrote/status/1270054340607143937

Lead actor Grant Gustin (who plays Barry Allen a.k.a. the Flash) reposted Wallace’s statement, stating that he was “shocked, saddened and angry when I saw the tweets” and that “words matter”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBL1mQzFVfj

Before The Flash, Sawyer previously starred on The Young and the Restless. 

The Flash had been scheduled to film Season 6 in Vancouver until April 6 but production was halted on March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arrowverse executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, who was the showrunner of The Flash, Arrow, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl, was fired in November 2017 after sexual misconduct allegations arose during the #MeToo movement. 

Meanwhile in recent Arrowverse news this year, the lead actor of sibling show Batwoman, Ruby Rose, announced on May 13 that she had left the show after the first season of the Vancouver-shot series had been completed.