American Gods' Mousa Kraish Says He Was Not Asked to Return for Season 3

Yet another American Godsactor has been let go from the cast ahead of Season 3. Mousa Kraish, who portrayed the Jinn in the first two seasons of the Starz series, has confirmed reports that he was not asked to return for American Gods' third run.

Kraish tweeted on Sunday, "I can confirm that I wasn't asked to come back this season. It has been an honor to play the Jinn & live in his fiery eyed skin. This character has introduced me to so much and I was proud to represent not just the Middle Eastern community in such a positive role you don't normally see television but also the LGBTQ community that supported this character of color that you don't see on television."

Kraish went on to thank American Gods' original showrunners, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, along with Starz and fans of the series. He also assured followers that he isn't ruling out returning to the character if the opportunity should arise. "The door isn't closed for me. If I'm ever asked to come back & portray the Jinn I will do it happily & proudly to be able to stand in front of my friend Omid Abtahi & shine with the two characters who go beyond the page," he wrote.

TV Guide has learned that Omid Abtahi, who plays the Jinn's love interest, Salim, remains a series regular for Season 3.

Fuller responded to the news of Kraish's departure by writing that it was "heartbreaking," while Green wrote that he had "no words" in response to Kraish's posts.

This is the second major cast shake-up in as many days for American Gods. On Saturday, Orlando Jones claimed that he had been fired from the series in a scathing social media video in which he blamed incoming showrunner Charles Eglee for his ouster. "The new Season 3 showrunner is Connecticut born and Yale educated, so he's very smart and he thinks that Mr. Nancy's angry, get s--- done is the wrong message for black America," Jones said, without naming Eglee. "That's right. This white man sits in that decision-making chair, and I'm sure he has many black BFFs who are his advisers and made it clear to him that if they did not get rid of that angry god Mr. Nancy, he'd start a Denmark Vesey uprising in this country."

In a statement to TV Guide, a spokesperson for American Gods responded to Jones' announcement: "The storylines of American Gods have continually shifted and evolved to reflect the complex mythology of the source material. Mr. Jones' option was not picked up because Mr. Nancy, among other characters, is not featured in the portion of the book we are focusing on within Season 3. Several new characters, many of which have already been announced, will be introduced into Shadow Moon's world that will further contribute to the show's legacy as one of the most diverse series on television."

Season 3 of American Gods will center on the Lakeside portion of Neil Gaiman's book, which features Shadow (Ricky Whittle) hiding out in a small town in Wisconsin under an assumed identity.

American Gods Seasons 1 and 2 are available at Starz.

(Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.)