Hawaii Five-O Showrunner Chooses Sides In Stars' Salary Dispute

Only one day after Daniel Dae Kim confirmed that he wouldn't be returning to Hawaii 5-0 due to pay disparities, the long-running series' showrunner is defending CBS in the situation.

Vulture reports that Peter Lenkov posted a note on his Twitter account that gave fans a deeper explanation of the negotiations. Though he doesn't mention any numbers specifically, he noted that both Kim and his co-star, Grace Park, who also decided not to renew her contract with the procedural, were set to receive "unprecedented raises."

Earlier this week, reports surrounding the cast's salaries surfaced, revealing that Kim and Park were earning about 10% less than cast mates Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan. All four actors have been on the show for the same number of episodes and Vulture notes that "Caan and O'Loughlin also get a cut of the show's backend deals" in addition to their usual salaries. It's unclear whether or not Kim and Park are being offered the same.

"Though I made myself available to come back," Kim explained on Facebook. "CBS and I weren’t able to agree to terms on a new contract, so I made the difficult choice not to continue."

Lenkov's tweet explains that CBS had done its best to negotiate with the actors. In the end, however, Kim and Park decided not to re-sign and left the show. Lenkov mentions the possibility of Park returning for a "handful of episodes," but he doesn't mention the possibility of Kim reprising his role whatsoever. Lenkov also said that Park and Kim are irreplaceable, so fans can breathe easy knowing that they won't be recast. Entertainment Weekly adds that there's already a casting call out for a new female lead.

Lenkov's note concludes by mentioning that Hawaii 5-0 has "one of the most diverse casts on TV." Here's hoping that it continues to be, even without Kim and Park onboard.