Emilio Estevez denies he quit Disney show The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers over vaccine rule

Emilio Estevez has addressed his departure from The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (Picture: Getty)

Actor Emilio Estevez has denied being anti-vaccine and said his departure from a Disney TV series was ‘nothing more than a good old-fashioned contract dispute’.

It had been widely reported that the star, who is the brother of Charlie Sheen and son of Martin Sheen, quit The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers due to a disagreement over a vaccine mandate.

However, Estevez has issued a lengthy statement denying his departure ahead of the show’s second season was connected to a refusal to have the jab.

‘I am not anti-vaxx,’ the 59-year-old said in a statement. ‘Full stop.

‘I take this pandemic very seriously, and I am often teased about my continued following of the safety protocols and my abundance of caution.

‘In the final analysis, this was nothing more than a good old-fashioned contract dispute and not, as some would believe an anti-vaccine position.’

The actor denied he was anti-vax (Picture: Getty)

His statement to Deadline continued: ‘While I can’t speak for anyone else in regards to this polarising, sensitive issue, I have my own lived experience.’

Estevez, who has starred in the likes of The Breakfast Club, St Elmo’s Fire and The Outsiders, said he had been suffering with ‘long haul’ Covid after testing positive for the virus in March 2020.

He added he reluctantly returned to work on The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers despite fears for his health.

Estevez also featured in The Mighty Ducks films, saying that ‘the legacy of the franchise was more important to me than my own health’.

He added: ‘My exit from the show was due to a myriad of creative differences – any other narrative is false.

More: Disney Plus

‘To the fans of the franchise – I am as disappointed as you are.

‘To my Ducks cast and crew – have a wonderful Season 2 on the show and please know that I will miss you all.’

The Mighty Ducks is available to stream on Disney Plus.

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