When Grimes abruptly walked away from playing James in True Blood" in late 2013 after just six episodes, HBO attributed his decision to "the creative direction of the character."
In 2014, when season seven of the vampire drama began airing — with actor Nathan Parsons taking over the role — BuzzFeed reported that Grimes had actually left the show because he was uncomfortable playing a character who has a same-sex romance.
Grimes' publicist denied this, telling the outlet that his departure "had nothing to do with storylines," and that the actor had not been "privy" to the upcoming romantic development between his character and another male character, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis).
Ellis, who passed away in 2017, addressed the controversy in an interview with Vulture after the episode that featured Lafayette and James' first sex scene aired.
"I mean, I can say I'm not going to make a comment, but I just think that, you're an actor, you're an actor on a show that's 'True Blood,' we're all sitting there going, 'You quit your job because … really?'" he said. "I'm just ... I'm over him."
"You make a statement, a big statement, when you go, 'I don't want to play this part because it's gay,'" said Ellis. "If you have a child, if you have a son, and he comes out as gay, what are you going to do? If you have a daughter who comes out gay...? You just made a statement, and it has ripple effects."
Representatives for Grimes did not immediately respond to a request for comment.