Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes in The Walking Dead

[Warning: The Walking Dead spoilers ahead.]

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The family of a certain Walking Dead actor claims they were fired, following the shocking reveal in the 2017 midseason finale. Just hours after the episode aired, Chandler Riggs' father claimed that his son was, in essence, booted from the show by AMC.

Riggs joined The Walking Dead as a baby-faced actor back in 2010 and is one of its biggest names. Since that time, the TV show and Riggs have grown up alongside each other and made the 18-year-old a key player over the course of the zombie horror series' eight seasons to date.

Related: Walking Dead Midseason Finale Dooms a Major Character

Carl's days are now numbered thanks to a fatal zombie bite, and it won't be long until he is gone from the show for good. However, while his departure from the show seems like a natural progression, Riggs' own father is claiming he was flat-out fired. Taking to Facebook (in a now deleted post), William Riggs used the business account "Chandler Riggs’ Dad’s Zombie Roadtrip Riggs’ Tours & Autographs" to write the following:

William Riggs Chandler Riggs Facebook

There has been a lot of speculation about why Carl was killed off, but most accepted that Riggs' age and a possibility of going to university was the deciding factor in the move. Contrary to this, the post certainly makes it sound like the decision to leave wasn't made by Riggs, and to be fair, the show has a chequered history of letting its stars go. Back in season 3 when the previous showrunner Glen Mazzara left to be replaced by Gimple, Laurie Holden's Andrea was spectacularly killed off.

These days, there's less and less of the "original" cast of the show left, and Riggs was one of only a handful still knocking around from the Frank Darabont days. Interestingly, many had tipped Carl to become an even bigger part of the show, or possibly even replace Rick Grimes as the leader of the survivors when Andrew Lincoln's surly sheriff kicks the bucket. Given that Carl is still very much alive in Robert Kirkman's comics of the same name, it will be interesting to see where the show goes from here.

The "All Out War" arc of season 8 promised some major deaths to "thin the herd," while Riggs himself had teased big departures. That being said, Carl's upcoming demise is easily one of the biggest twists that the flagging show has delivered in a while. Well, there goes that Old Man Carl theory doesn't it?

MORE: All-out War Continues in Walking Dead Midseason Premiere Trailer

The Walking Dead returns to our screens in February of next year.