Disturbing rumors about Chandler Riggs, who plays Carl Grimes in AMC's "The Walking Dead," recently surfaced suggesting that the young actor might be leaving the show soon to pursue a college degree. Chandler posted on his personal Twitter account that he got accepted in Auburn, which was followed by several congratulatory messages from both his friends and fans.

Rumors were further fueled after Chandler's father, William, posted on Facebook that his son's 7-year contract with the TV series has been completed. The original Facebook status has long been deleted and rewritten but Movie Pilot was able to copy the statement before it was taken down.

In the original Facebook status, William expressed his gratitude to AMC, the staff and crew of the show, and most especially the fans for supporting Chandler. Additionally, he also expressed his admiration for Chandler for being so hardworking to the point of sacrificing time with his friends. He also added that Chandler's hard work to juggle school work and filming makes him very proud as a father.

Meanwhile, The Wrap reported that Chandler's mother, Gina-Ann Riggs, commented on her Instagram account regarding her son's rumored exit from the show. She urged fans not to over analyze the situation. She also added that Chandler's 7-year contract with AMC is a very big accomplishment for a child actor. She also addressed the compliment to Chandler's father who had to quit his job so that his son can live his dream.

While some fans are surprisingly indifferent to the possibility of Chandler's character no longer appearing in the show due to his character's disobedience and sometimes rebellious nature, Carl is admittedly a very important character in the series, a driving force that motivates Rick (Andrew Lincoln) to continually survive.

It is believed that Lincoln and Norman Reedus also just recently renewed their contracts with AMC. "The Walking Dead" show executives have yet to issue a statement regarding rumors that Chandler might no longer return in the next season of the series. If rumors turn out to be true, fans can only speculate how showrunners will kill off Carl Grimes as a character in the series.

A new episode of "The Walking Dead" season 7 airs every Sunday, 9 p.m. EDT on AMC.