the-biz

Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton's 'One Tree Hill' Exit: All About the Benjamins?

by Celebuzz on May. 22, 2009 05:00 PM / 46 Comments

It sounds like the mystery behind Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton's exit from One Tree Hill has been solved—and the question mark appears to hav been replaced by a dollar sign.

TV Guide reports that CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff addressed the actors' departure during the network's upfront presentation on Thursday—and from the way she tells it, it wasn't the network's decision to part ways with them.

"We tried to get them to stay; we would have been thrilled if they wanted to," Ostroff told reporters.

Murray and Burton—who'd been with the show since its 2003 debut—were both in lengthy contract negotiations at the time of the parting. If the network had been making every effort to keep them happy, as Ostroff suggests, could there be any other reason for the split besides the money?

During a recent interview, Burton—who's moving on shoot a Web series starting on Memorial Day—noted that "money isn't necessarily a big motivator for me." While she didn't reveal the precise reason for her departure from the show, Burton noted, "Everyone was kind of agreeable about the situation."

If the CW's Ostroff is to be believed, that will probably come as news to the network.

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Comments / 1-10 of 46

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Rachel Foster 6 mos ago
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How can they leave??? The whole show is about Peyton and Lucas!!!! They can't leave, there will be no more reason for One Tree Hill!!!!!!
Jessica 6 mos ago
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I agree!! How the hell do you have ONE TREE HILL without chad michael murray and hillary burton??? LUCAS was the main character when it started and now he's not gonna be on it??? IT WAS ALL ABOUT LEYTON!!! i'm not belittling the other couples because i love them too.. but you cant just get rid of them!!
susan 6 mos ago
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Why would we believe what the Network says, they're just covering their ass. I believe Hilarie, she said in her video it was about creative control, aka Mark Shwalm. Good luck to Mark, I hope he gets better writers for season 7 or it's the end of the road for OTH.
sd92 6 mos ago
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I Aree!!! You Cant Have On Tree Hill With Out Them, It Just Defeats The Purpose.
And Who I Going To Narate It With lucas Gone.
farid 6 mos ago
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yehhh OTH without both of them in nothing more than a sad showw..plzz bring back them,,,
gloria 6 mos ago
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i am glad they are leaving. their characters are so self-involved and annoying to listen to. I used to fast forward all their scenes. OTH is going to get so much better without them, especially with other story lines and characters they can bring it. and besides, i think OTH will probably bring them back occasionally because they didnt kill them off in the finale.
Kelly 6 mos ago
Reply

I'm glad they are both leaving the show. Hilarie Burton is a horrible actress. All she wants is money and when she can't get it her way, she'll throw a fit and threaten to leave. Im glad the writers and producers finally see Hilarie for a greedy bitch that she really is.
Michael 6 mos ago
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Hilarie Burton is an ugly, stupid actress.
ML 6 mos ago
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I believe Hilarie. The Network is a business and they are trying to do damage control. Who knows what they did to try to keep them?
ML 6 mos ago
Reply

Michael said:
Hilarie Burton is an ugly, stupid actress.

And you must be god-like and a rocket scientist...