With the hit British-American TV series Downton Abbey still a long ways away from its fourth installment, fans of the show have been resorted to the web for its latest scoops.

Rob James-Collier, who plays the part of Thomas Barrow, recently ignited chatter when he appeared at a DA publicity gathering with a new buzz cut.

At the close of Season 3, the Thomas character found himself in the midst of a possible legal discrepancy.

According to a source of the Mirror, "Rob has either been sent to prison or has been written out of the show."

To back up the respective statement, Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) recently stated that the cast is "almost halfway" finished filming its fourth installment.

To add to the speculation, James-Collier has been rumored to be playing the lead in a BBC adaptation of Poldark.

Downton Abbey, which airs in 219 countries across the world, follows the ups and downs of the royal Crawley family and their staff in the 1920s.

The series is set to premiere its fourth season in the U.S. on Jan. 5, 2014, according to The Huffington Post.  Keep checking back for more of the latest details on the popular series.  For more Downton dirt on the upcoming season, check out the video below.

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