Lethal Weapon is a well-known American action series in which two highly professional cops work together and solve curious cases. During the shooting, one scene involved firing Riggs, which was undoubtedly the best part of the series. But this led to his permanent absence from the drama, which confused the fans, and they wanted to know why Clayne Crawford was fired. This article finds the reason for what happened to Riggs in Lethal Weapon.
So stay with us and solve this mystery! But before that, first, you need to know who Riggs is.
Who is Clayne Crawford?
Crawford is the son of Lennie, born in Alabama and graduated from Hewitt-Trussville High School. During high school, he was in the wrestling and football team. He moved to Los Angeles, fulfilled his acting dreams, and started working in small theatres.
Like other people with the same name, he replaced his first name with Clayne. He played multiple roles in movies like One Blood Planet, The Great Raid, Unknown, Baby, N.Y.C Underground, and more.
He also performed in many TV series—Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rosewell, Thief, Life, Leverage, Justified, Chad Powers, and many others. he also got the best supporting actor award in 2016.
| Name | Joseph Crawford |
| Hometown | Clay, Alabama, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Date of Birth | 20 April, 1978 |
| Age | 47 years, as of 2025 |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Height | 6’0” |
| Profession | Actor |
| Qualification | High School Diploma |
| Social Media handle | Instagram -@claynecrawfordFacebook-@claynecrawfordofficial |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Sunshine Kiki Brown |
What Happened To Riggs In Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon is based on an action film Franchise in which two cops solve cases wisely. Riggs and Martaught’s extraordinary performance, witty script, and unstoppable actions make Lethal Weapon a blockbuster drama.
However, during the finale of Season 2, it has to bear the loss of one of its leading characters, Riggs, played by Clayne Crawford. This shocked the Lethal Weapon fans, and they wanted to know why and how the actor was fired.
The idea of Lethal Weapon TV series came from an action film with the same name. In 1987, Shane Black casted well-trained actors, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, as his two main characters for the film.
Their extraordinary performance opened up ways, and they worked together in Tango and Cash, The Last Boy Scout, and Red Heat. Along with these projects, they continued working on Lethal Weapon sequels, which ended with season 4 in 1998.
However, season 5 is still debatable. In 2016, the franchise moved the film into a TV series. For this purpose, they cast Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans as Martin Riggs and Murtaugh as their leading characters.
From the start of season 1, the two actors could hardly stand one another, thus making it difficult for them to work together in the coming seasons. Even during season 2, the audio leaks in which Clayne and Wayans argue, as Damon Wayans is hurt by shrapnel during an episode directed by Clayne Crawford.
After some time, a video was leaked in which Clayned was yelling at the Lethal Weapon crew, and therefore, the Fox team decided to remove him from upcoming seasons. But they chose to do it respectfully.
In the final episodes of Legal Weapon Season 2, they shot a scene in which Riggs’ father, Nathan, kidnapped Murtaugh’s wife and Riggs clashes with his father. He exchanges his half-brother, Garrett, for Trish, but ultimately, in this dispute, he ends up killing his father, which disturbs him.
In the last episode, he leaves his job and moves back to Texas with his son and wife, Molly. So he comes to his first wife’s grave to say goodbye, where his brother appears on the scene and shoots him in the chest.
The premier episode of season 3 reveals that, unfortunately, Riggs did not survive his gunshot wound and died. His brother also committed suicite after shooting Riggs. Murtaugh also faced depression for almost six months while finding justice for his partner’s death.
After Riggs’ death, the series’ ratings continued to decline. This forced the production team to split up the series star’s duo, but this did not work as people did not accept the lead character, Wesley Cole, played by someone else.
Final Words
Riggs, performed by Clayne Crawford in Lethal Weapon, finally ends. Although his performance is extraordinary during seasons 1 and 2, what suddenly happened to Riggs in Lethal Weapon behind the scenes was that the cast decided to fire the star. His unusual behaviour with the co-star, Wayans, and the crew member forces the Fox to replace him with someone else. Therefore, they end his journey in the series in a beautiful way that makes a lasting impression on the audience.
