Susan Olsen, a star from the iconic series "The Brady Bunch," was poised to reprise her role in a reboot of the beloved sitcom, joining an ensemble of OG actors ready to breathe new life into the classic show. However, the revival, which was still in its nascent stages at CBS Studios, never saw the light of day due to Olsen's controversial remarks and hate speech that stirred up a storm of controversy.
The proposed revival series would have depicted the "Brady Bunch" siblings as adults, providing fans with a glimpse into their current lives and families. Olsen, who played Cindy, the youngest Brady sibling, was set to portray a libertarian podcaster until her real-life views led to the show's demise, as she revealed on the "#WalkAway Campaign" podcast.
After a homophobic and incendiary private message, which ultimately led to her dismissal from L.A. Talk Radio, came to light, the studio embarked on a web search of Olsen's past controversial statements. The search culminated in a 50-page document that, according to Olsen, sealed her fate. "The emphatic response was, 'No, she cannot be part of the show,'" Olsen recounted.
Olsen shared that she had a phone conversation with her TV siblings and agent, who all expressed their regret but emphasized that the studio was inflexible. "They just wouldn't budge. They simply wouldn't have me in the show," Olsen said, feeling the sting of cancellation. "A role I've played for over half a century, I can't play it now because I'm deemed too dangerous. I responded, 'Well, okay, good luck with that. I hope you can sell it.'"
While Olsen attributed the decision to her public admission of voting for Donald Trump, a source close to the situation clarified to TheWrap that the issue stemmed not from her political leanings but from her controversial comments and hate speech. CBS Studios declined to offer any comment on the matter.
During her podcast appearance, Olsen stood firm by her remarks, referring to them as her "greatest hits" and affirming, "If I put it out there, then I meant it." Prior to the deluge of controversial comments surfacing, Olsen revealed that CBS Studios had offered her the chance to enroll in a course after learning about the homophobic incident, which she had eagerly accepted. "I thought, 'This will greenlight the show... It's the least I can do for my siblings, who are having a problem with me,'" Olsen said.
The actress added that although she was eager to consult with media experts, she never received any information about the course, as the studio determined her past comments were too inflammatory to overlook.
