CNN cuts ties with Reza Aslan after he uses profanity in Trump tweet

June 10 (UPI) -- CNN announced it will no longer work with Reza Aslan after the Iranian-American scholar and author sparked controversy for using an expletive to describe U.S. President Donald Trump.

"CNN has decided to not move forward with production on the acquired series Believer with Reza Aslan," a spokeswoman for the network said in a statement to The New York Times Friday. "We wish Reza and his production team all the best."

Aslan tweeted his own statement in response to the cancellation of his show after one season.

"Obviously I am very disappointed in this decision," he wrote. "Believer means a great deal to me and to the countless viewers it's reached. Its message of religious tolerance and exploration is extremely important right now. I am deeply grateful to CNN for giving me the opportunity to launch the show and to amplify my voice on their network. I am especially grateful to the legion of people within the Turner organization who worked so hard to make the show a hit series. However, in these politically charged times, the tenor of our nation's discourse has become complicated, and I recognize that CNN needs to protect its brand as an unbiased news outlet. Similarly, I need to honor my voice. I am not a journalist. I am a social commentator and scholar. And so I agree with CNN that it is best that we part ways. I look forward to partnering with another platform in the future to continue to spread my message. I wish CNN all the best."

Aslan apologized last week when a backlash followed his tweet calling Trump "a piece of [expletive]," Variety said.

Aslan said he was frustrated by the president's use of the recent London terror attack by radical Islamists to promote his planned ban to temporarily curtail immigration from several, Muslim-majority countries.