Disney actor fired for trying to hook up with 13 year old boy
Stoney Westmoreland attends the premiere of ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ at the El Capitan Theatre on May 10, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty)
An actor who played a grandfather in Disney’s LGBT+ inclusive TV show Andi Mack has been fired for trying to hook up with a 13 year old boy.
Police reports indicate that actor Stoney Westmoreland sent sexually explicit messages to somebody who he thought was a 13 year old boy online.
Queerty reports that it is not yet known whether the account was actually that of a real 13 year old boy, or if it was set up by police.
Westmoreland allegedly asked the boy for sex, and also asked him for nude photos. He reportedly then sent the boy nude photos of himself.
He also reportedly sent a car via a ride sharing app to the boy so he could be brought to his location, at which point police arrested him.
Westmoreland has been charged with four counts of dealing in materials harmful to minors and soliciting sex from a minor.
Disney fired Stoney Westmoreland
Disney responded to the arrest by releasing a statement, in which they announced that he had been fired from his role on Andi Mack.
“He will not be returning to work on the series.”
– Disney Statement
“Given the nature of the charges and our responsibility for the welfare of employed minors, we have released him from his recurring role and he will not be returning to work on the series which wraps production on its third season next week,” the statement said.
Andi Mack has won much praise for featuring Disney’s first openly gay character.
The second season of Andi Mack featured a gay plotline where Cyrus develops feelings for a classmate – before coming out.
Stoney Westmoreland (R) (Vivien Killilea/Getty)
Disney Channel was forced to pull the show from air in a number of countries after outrage at the gay storyline.
Speaking to People, the show’s star Joshua Rush said he sometimes feels the “pressure” of the role.
He said: “I feel the pressure, and I also don’t.
Andi Mack: A groundbreaking TV show
“I think the most important thing for me when I got this part was to do it right.
“I knew that I wanted to do it justice, because I knew that people were gonna end up seeing this and being like, ‘Wow that’s me, I identify with that [and] I can be who I am now,’ but I also wanted to make sure that it’s not all-encompassing. Like that’s not all of Cyrus’ personality.
“We put the work in, and I think it shows.”
– Joshua Rush
He added: “It’s important that everybody gets representation and that anybody having thoughts on who they are is able to see that represented on TV and to be shown that’s okay.
“I think Cyrus feels different, and I think in our teenage years we all feel different at different times, so it’s important to show anyone that Cyrus is comfortable with who he is and is happy with who he is.
“I think this storyline is definitely going to help a lot of my peers.”
Stoney Westmoreland has had minor roles in a number of TV shows and films, including Better Call Saul, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Scandal, Weeds and Medium.
