Oh, that is scary. I really hope these are just lying trolls looking for attention. But if it is true, I wonder what they would mean by him becoming increasingly difficult to work with. Was he too opinionated on set? Is he secretly an A--hole?
Is he mentally ill? What the heck is the matter?!? And if it is true, why must they keep these things so quiet? And I guess it is odd that Peter Linz played Statler that one time, since they're usually very strict about each character having a consistent performer (even more so than SST).
But, let's not lose our heads yet. Maybe we should ask one of the Muppet performers on social media. If we don't get a response from any of them any time soon, their silence could very well be a confirmation.
Just remember, absolutely nothing has been confirmed or implied by
anyone who works with Steve or at Disney. Also, this isn't the first time Muppet fans have wondered where Steve was (remember the America's Got Talent incident?) So, let's not worry too much.