Movies and TV Shows with Stars Who Were Canceled Between Production and Release: A Brief(ish) History

“Two and a Half Men” (Season 9)

Who got canceled and why: Charlie Sheen was written off of “Two and a Half Men” following eight years of playing Charlie Harper on the CBS sitcom. Two months after Sheen was admitted to a rehab facility for drug and alcohol addiction, the actor was fired due to his self-destructive behavior and offensive comments towards the show’s producers.

How the network handled it: Ashton Kutcher was brought on as Walden Schmidt, who became the new comedic foil for Jon Cryer’s Alan Harper. Sheen’s character was revealed to have been hit by a subway train. The series finale, however, puts a new spin on Charlie Harper’s absence from the show. The last episode depicts Sheen as a cartoon character who was kidnapped by his admirer Rose, played by Melanie Lynskey. The scene takes a jab at Sheen’s drug addiction, turning his nose as a vacuum inhaling a large pile of sugar. A letter sent to Sheen’s attorney from the network outlines the reasons behind the decision.“At the outset, let us state the obvious: Your client has been engaged in dangerously self-destructive conduct and appears to be very ill.” —MF

“The Ranch” (Season 3)

Who got canceled and why: Danny Masterson was charged with two counts of rape in 2020 and found guilty in his 2023 trial. The assaults took place in the actor’s Hollywood home between 2001-2003. Sentencing for Masterson’s crimes will take place in August, when the actor will face up to 30 years in prison.

How the streamer handled it: Masterson was fired from Netflix’s “The Ranch” in 2017, shortly after allegations against him first surfaced. His character, Rooster, was killed in an offscreen accident that resulted in his motorcycle being found at the bottom of a cliff. —MF

Louis C.K.’s Various Projects

Who got canceled and why: Louis C.K.’s raunchy comedy empire came crashing down in 2017 when he was accused of masturbating in front of multiple female comedians. Shortly after, C.K. came clean and admitted that he behaved inappropriately. “These stories are true,” C.K. said in a statement. “At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my dick without asking first, which is also true. But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your dick isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.”

How Hollywood handled it: C.K. was working on a variety of projects at the time, which forced multiple companies to make their own decisions about how to proceed. Universal Pictures tapped Patton Oswalt to take over C.K.’s voice role in “The Secret Life of Pets 2.” While FX never explicitly cancelled “Louie,” C.K. was forced to step away from his writing and producing duties on shows like “Better Things” and “Baskets.” The allegations also cast a shadow over his film “I Love You, Daddy,” which C.K. wrote, directed, and starred in. The film had already premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival by the time the allegations came out, but it never received a theatrical or streaming release. —MF

“All the Money in the World”

Who got canceled and why: Kevin Spacey, who was set to play oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in Ridley Scott’s ‘70s set thriller. In October, two months before “All the Money in the World” was scheduled to premiere, actor Anthony Rapp went public with accusations that Spacey had sexually assaulted him when he was 14-years-old. More than a dozen other men came forward with similar accusations of sexual misconduct against Spacey shortly afterwards. Spacey, who seemingly attempted to shield himself from criticism by coming out as gay, faced three separate legal cases from the accusations. All of these ended in Spacey favor, were dismissed, or were dropped. Currently, Spacey is facing charges in the United Kingdom, in a trial in London on four counts of sexual assault.

How the studio handled it: To the extent that cancellation is a real thing, Spacey got thoroughly canceled. He was fired from “House of Cards,” which proceeded with a sixth and final season without him, and a Gore Vidal biopic he was tapped to star in was shelved. For “All the Money in the World,” Scott reshot Spacey’s scenes as Getty a month before its release, now with the much more age-appropriate Christopher Plummer in the role. Remarkably, the scenes only took eight days to reshoot, and the film managed to hit its intended release date. —WC

“Transparent” (Season 5)

Who got canceled and why: Jefferey Tambor’s Emmy-winning run on the Prime Video series “Transparent” ended in 2017 when he was accused of inappropriate behavior on set. The controversy, which included sexual misconduct accusations, took place at the peak of the #MeToo movement. Although the actor took responsibility for his challenging temperament, he denied the more serious claims. “Lines got blurred. I was difficult. I was mean,” said Tambor, who blamed some of his behavior on the stress of playing a transgender character as a cisgender man.

How the studio handled it: Following an internal investigation from Amazon Studios, showrunner Jill Soloway cut ties with Tambor and began reworking the fifth and final season without the actor’s involvement. “I am profoundly disappointed in Amazon’s handling of these false accusations against me,” said Tambor. —MF

“Deadpool 2” / “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”

Who got canceled and why: T.J. Miller, best known for starring in “Silicon Valley.” In late 2017, after starring in “The Emoji Movie,” Miller was the subject of numerous public controversies, including domestic violence and sexual assault allegations and accusations of transphobic harrassment by film critic Danielle Solzman. In April 2018, he got arrested after calling in a fake bomb threat while drunk on an Amtrak train, and later that year was accused of bullying behavior on the set of “Silicon Valley” by recurring actor Alice Wetterlund. 

How the studio handled it: Miller left “Silicon Valley” in May before the accusations against him became public, but the actor had already filmed scenes for the blockbuster “Deadpool 2” and recorded voice lines for the third “How to Train Your Dragon” movie. “Deadpool 2” went ahead, but star Ryan Reynolds made it clear Miller would not return for future sequels. Dreamworks Animation, meanwhile, had Miller’s role in “The Hidden World” overdubbed by Justin Rupple. —WC

“A Rainy Day in New York”

Who got canceled and why: Director Woody Allen. In 1992, Allen was publicly accused by his ex-partner Mia Farrow of sexually abusing their adopted daughter Dylan Farrow when she was seven years old. Allen, who began a relationship the year before with Farrow’s adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, denied the allegations, and largely continued on with his career unaffected, earning nine Oscar nominations and winning Best Original Screenplay in 2011 for “Midnight in Paris.” Allen didn’t face real pushback until 2017, when the Me Too movement (kickstarted in part by the journalism work of Allen’s son Ronan Farrow) caused a re-examination of the allegation, and Dylan Farrow published an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times about her abuse.

How the studio handled it:Starring Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, and Selena Gomez, the film was shot in 2017 and originally set for a big release from Amazon in 2018. However, the studio halted the release due to the resurfaced accusation, and eventually dropped the movie entirely. It was ultimately released by MPI Media Group in 2020.

Several actors on the film, including Chalamet and Gomez, publicly apologized for working with Allen and donated their salaries to nonprofits, including Time’s Up and RAINN. —WC

“Roseanne” / “The Conners” (Season 1)

Who got canceled and why: The titular star Roseanne Barr. When the comedian’s acclaimed ‘90s sitcom “Roseanne” was revived by ABC in March 2018, it became a massive ratings success for the channel. The revival, which played into conservative and pro-Trump sensibilities, was quickly renewed for a second season. But in May, Barr, who had been an outspoken Trump supporter for years, tweeted a racist joke comparing Obama era senior advisor Valerie Jarrett to an ape.    

How the studio handled it: ABC effectively canceled “Roseanne” as audiences knew it, and instead went ahead with “The Conners”: the same show minus its namesake.

The same night that Barr tweeted her joke, then-ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey announced the show had been canceled, and Hulu removed the entire series from its library. Eventually, ABC reached a deal with Barr to remove herself as an executive producer, and the series was retooled as “The Conners,” focusing on Roseanne’s family after her death. The show remained a success, and has been renewed for a sixth season. —WC

“Fuller House” (Season 4)

Who got canceled and why: Lori Loughlin did not return in Season 5 of the Netflix series “Fuller House” following her conviction in the college admissions scandal that saw her pay $500,000 for fake athletic credentials for her two daughters in an attempt to enhance their college resumes. Loughlin plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and served two months in prison.

How the streamer handled it: Loughlin’s Aunt Becky was written out of the fifth and final season of the “Full House” spin-off. When her on-screen husband Jesse (John Stamos) is left to decide how to parent his daughter alone, D.J. (Candace Cameron) asks her uncle to consider Becky’s input. Stamos responds by saying “Becky is in Nebraska helping out her mother. I don’t want to bother her with a tiny little thing like this.” —MF

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (Season 12)

Who got canceled and why: Joey Gugliemelli, also known as Sherry Pie. Between filming the main competition for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 12 and its final episode, Gugliemelli faced multiple allegations of sexual abuse and became the second contestant ever disqualified from the reality drag competition. Victims detailed a casting couch/catfishing scheme, through which Gugliemelli posed as an industry professional and coerced aspiring performers to make and send sexually suggestive materials.

How the network handled it: Accusations against Gulgiemelli surfaced shortly before the Season 12 premiere. VH1 and production company World of Wonder had just enough time to remove Sherry Pie from much of the American broadcast — though original cuts of the show aired internationally, with side-by-side comparisons becoming a staple of social media intrigue that season. Each episode was introduced with a disclaimer slate explaining the disqualification — citing Gulgiemelli’s public apology, in which he stated he was “horribly embarrassed” and “disgusted [with himself.]”

The episode disclaimer read, in part, “Out of respect for the hard work of the other queens, VH1 will air the season as planned. Sherry Pie will not appear in the grand finale scheduled to be filmed later this spring.” The production gap coincided with the start of COVID-19 lockdown and forced the Season 12 finale to go virtual. Sherry Pie didn’t appear, despite qualifying during the semi-finals, and many of Gugliemelli’s solo looks were cut from the show. Portions of Gugliemelli’s performance aired for continuity and context. —AF 

“Army of the Dead”

Who got canceled and why: Chris D’Elia, best known for his work as a stand-up comic and appearances in shows like “You.” D’Elia shot his role in “Army of the Dead,” a zombie action Netflix movie from Zack Snyder, in summer 2019. A year later, several women came forward on Twitter alleging that the comedian sexually harassed them, solicited nude photos, and groomed them while they were underage. The response was immediate; Creative Artists Agency dropped D’Elia as a client, and his 2013 special “White Male. Black Comic” (yes, really) was removed from streaming by Comedy Central, along with an episode of the sitcom “Workaholics” where he played a child predator. He’s only continued to face more accusations in the years since.

How the streamer handled it: Rather than awkwardly having to talk about D’Elia in the press run up to “Army of the Dead,” Netflix opted to wash their hands of the disgraced comedian entirely and recast his role. For his replacement, they went with another stand-up in Tig Notaro, who ultimately played helicopter pilot Marianne in the final release. Since the controversy happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, replacing D’Elia proved more difficult than simple reshoots; Notaro shot her scenes against a green screen over the course of two weeks, with only one of her co-stars (Ana de la Reguera) returning to film. She was inserted via CGI into the final project. —WC

“Pieces of a Woman”

Who got canceled and why: Shia LaBeouf, the actor of “Transformers” and “Even Stevens” origins. While the former child star had a history of violent behavior and legal issues beforehand, the tipping point for him was when his former romantic partner, musician FKA Twigs, filed a lawsuit against him in December 2020. Twigs alleged sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress. LaBeouf’s civil trial is scheduled for later this year.

How the streamer handled it: The lawsuit occurred shortly before the Netflix premiere of the 2021 film “Pieces of a Woman,” which LaBeouf starred in opposite Vanessa Kirby. Netflix scrubbed LaBeouf from the film’s awards campaign, but otherwise did not publicly comment on the lawsuit; Kirby went on to get nominated for an Oscar for her work. LaBeouf took a hiatus from acting, before starring in the 2022 film “Padre Pio” and joining the cast of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” which is expected in 2024. —WC

“The Mandalorian” (Season 1)

Who got canceled and why: Gina Carano was fired from “The Mandalorian,” in 2021 following a series of controversial tweets made at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The outspoken Republican took to Twitter to voice her frustrations on pandemic policies and Jeffery Epstein’s sudden death — and the final straw may have been her ill-advised decision to compare the treatment of Trump supporters in America to that of Jews in Nazi Germany.

How the studio handled it: Following the tweets, Disney immediately wiped its hands clean of Carano’s character, Cara Dune. Although the show didn’t completely kill off Dune, her story continues someplace far, far away from the hit Disney+ story. “It’s a big galaxy, and we have many characters in it—many characters are fighting for their screen time,” said the show’s executive producer Rick Famuyiwa in a recent interview with Deadline. —MF

“Death on the Nile”

Who got canceled and why: Allegations against Armie Hammer first surfaced in January 2021 when an Instagram account under the name “House of Effie” accused the actor of rape and other acts of violent sexual behavior. Hammer denied the allegations before charges were eventually dropped by LAPD.

How the studio handled it: At the time of the allegations, 20th Century Studios had already shot Hammer’s scenes on the mystery-thriller “Death on the Nile.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio had considered multiple options — including reshooting Hammer’s scenes — but the logistics didn’t seem realistic. The studio ultimately decided to do nothing, releasing the film as is without highlighting Hammer’s presence in any marketing campaigns. The large ensemble cast and Hammer’s relatively small role allowed the controversy to fly under the radar. —MF

“Never Have I Ever” (Season 2)

Who got canceled and why: Model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen. In May 2021, reality TV star Courtney Stodden spoke in an interview with The Daily Beast about media treatment they received as a teenager in the early 2000s, after they were groomed by 51-year-old Doug Hutchison and married him at 16. Stodden specifically called out Teigen for sending tweets and direct messages telling them to kill themself. Other TV personalities, such as Michael Costello and Farrah Abraham, made similar allegations of harassment, and Teigen posted a lengthy apology admitting to her cruel treatment of Stodden.

How the streamer handled it: One of the central gimmicks of Netflix series “Never Have I Ever” is that real-life celebrities play themselves as the narrators of high school storylines; the majority of the series revolves around Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and is narrated by tennis great John McEnroe. For Season 2 in 2021, Teigen was tapped to narrate an episode focusing on Devi’s love interest Paxton (Darren Barnet). But following the Stodden controversy, just a few weeks before the show’s June premiere, Teigen exited the series; spokespeople for Netflix said it was Teigen’s decision. Ultimately, fellow model Gigi Hadid took over as narrator for the episode, and would return in the show’s fourth and final season for another episode focusing on Paxton. —WC

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”

Who got canceled and why: Johnny Depp. In November 2016, Depp joined J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World as Gellert Grindelwald: a dark wizard and the cameo kicker to the first Harry Potter spinoff, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” The movie premiered roughly six months after ex-wife Amber Heard accused Depp of extended physical and psychological abuse during their marriage. Despite how easy it would have been to redo one cameo scene, Depp reprised his role as Gellert Grindelwald in 2018; this time as a starring character in the sequel “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

How the studio handled it: Depp was ousted from numerous projects following Heard’s disclosure; most notably, parting ways with Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. No stranger to cancellation herself these days (thanks to her anti-trans commentary that reached a fever pitch in 2020), Rowling stood behind Depp in a December 2017 statement.

“Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies,” the author wrote.

Warner Bros.’ film premiered as planned that fall. But Heard’s allegations were met by Depp’s own accusations of abuse, and the couple’s fraught split subsequently played out in two heavily publicized civil trials. In November 2020, Depp lost his first suit: a claim of libel against the U.K. publication The Sun, which ran a story referring to the actor as a “wife beater.” Given the judge’s ruling in favor of The Sun, Warner Bros. asked Depp to leave the then unnamed “Fantastic Beasts 3.” He reportedly received a $16 million pay-day for the project, despite having shot only one scene to that point. Depp was replaced with Mads Mikkelsen.

Heard and Depp faced each other again in spring 2022 over claims of defamation in a Washington Post op-ed, penned by Heard. This time they appeared in a Virginia court, which found in favor of Depp and awarded him $10 million compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The jury found that a statement by one of Depp’s attorneys also defamed Heard; she was given $2 million in compensatory damages and a zero-dollar punitive damages payout. —AF

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”

Who got canceled and why: Amber Heard. Filing for divorce and successfully petitioning for a temporary restraining order in May 2016, Heard accused her ex-husband Johnny Depp of domestic and sexual violence throughout their two-year marriage. The split was finalized in January 2017 and the former couple issued a peaceful joint statement, which read in part, “Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.” Depp re-raised the issue the following year, when he brought suits against The Sun and The Washington Post. Throughout this time, he made particularly colorful allegations of physical and psychological abuse against Heard.

How the studio handled it: In a counterclaim, Heard argued Depp coordinated an online harassment campaign built on false claims designed to defame her and damage her career. Petitions to remove Heard from a L’Oreal beauty campaign as well as DC Studios’ forthcoming “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” circulated online. Despite losing (partially winning, but mostly losing) the definitive Depp v. Heard case, the actress will reprise her role of oceanic warrior Mera in the superhero sequel out this December.

“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” Heard said at the time of the verdict. “I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband. I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated.” —AF

“The Flash”

Who got canceled and why: Ezra Miller, aka the titular Flash. Beginning with an alleged choking incident in 2020, the actor faced a series of legal troubles, as well as assault and grooming allegations, that they have since attributed to “complex mental health issues.” Miller plead guilty to misdemeanor unlawful trespass in a Vermont court earlier this year. In exchange, the prosecution dropped two county, felony burglary and petit larceny charges. They are currently on probation.

How the studio handled it: James Gunn and Peter Safran, the newly minted co-CEOs of DC Studios, aren’t yet severing ties with Miller.
“Ezra is completely committed to their recovery, and we are fully supportive of that journey that they’re on right now,” Safran said in January 2023. “When the time is right, when they feel like they’re ready to have the discussion, we’ll all figure out what the best path forward is. Right now, they are completely focused on their recovery. In our conversations with them over the last couple of months, it feels like they’re making enormous progress.” Resurfacing at “The Flash” premiere (which, yes, they were still invited to despite doing no other press for the film), Miller thanked Gunn and Safran for their “grace and discernment and care in the context of my life.”

Director Andy Muschietti, who Gunn and Safran recently hired to direct the upcoming Batman movie “The Brave and the Bold,” has similarly said he will not replace Miller as “The Flash.” The future of any sequels involving the actor or character is unclear. —AF

“Emancipation”

Who got canceled and why: Will Smith. A rundown of what happened with Smith seems redundant, but if you somehow missed it… During the 2022 Oscars ceremony, the same night he won Best Actor, Smith unexpectedly took the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock in the face. The altercation occurred after Rock made a now notorious joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.   

How the studio handled it: Although Smith was immediately remorseful for the slap, he still faced intense blowback from the media and the industry at large over the incident. The Academy banned him from their events for 10 years, and Netflix reportedly halted development on a film starring him after the public controversy. However, “Emancipation,” an Apple film starring Smith as an enslaved man escaping to freedom, still premiered that fall. Director Antoine Fuqua defended Smith in press interviews, calling the film’s story “more important than one bad moment.” —WC

“Rick and Morty” (Season 7)

Who got canceled and why: “Rick and Morty” faced an existential threat in January 2023 when allegations of domestic violence surfaced against the show’s co-creator and voice actor Justin Roiland. Roiland faced two charges of domestic battery with corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud and/or deceit, but lack of evidence led to the case being dropped in March 2023.

How the network handled it: Although Roiland won’t face legal consequences, the show will proceed with new actors voicing the two eponymous characters. “Rick and Morty” producer Steve Levy believes that the show’s transition will go smoothly because other creative elements remain unchanged. “The writing quality has never been better, and all the screenwriters have stayed. I don’t think anyone will bat an eyelid hearing the new voices,” Levy said in a recent interview with Premiere. —MF

“Magazine Dreams”

Who got canceled and why: Jonathan Majors, who plays the character of Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and won acclaim out of 2023’s Sundance Festival for his performance as a bodybuilder in the film “Magazine Dreams.” In March, right after starring in Michael B. Jordan’s debut “Creed III,” Majors was arrested in New York on charges of assault, strangulation, and harassment. Following the news, several people came forward with allegations that Majors exhibited abusive behavior, and Variety reported several alleged victims had begun cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney’s office on a case against the actor.

How the studio handled it: While Majors’ trial remains an ongoing concern, Disney is staying quiet. The actor hasn’t officially been cast in any future MCU films, although his character is expected to be the main villain of the franchise’s overall storyline going forward. Majors is expected to be in “Loki” Season 2, premiering on Disney+ in October.

Disney’s subsidiary Searchlight Pictures acquired “Magazine Dreams” out of Sundance, and that film will also be released in December. Disney and Searchlight have yet to make any public statements about their future relationships with Majors. —WC