Daniel Stern has exited an upcoming ABC pilot starring and co-written by Rachel Bloom, Deadline reports. Stern’s departure from the project—it’s not wholly clear whether he was fired or left the pilot voluntarily—comes a few days after the actor was charged with a single misdemeanor charge of engaging or agreeing to engage in prostitution in Ventura County, California.
The pilot in question, titled Do You Want Kids?, stars Bloom and Rory Scovel as a couple who are shown in two realities—one in which they have a baby and one in which they don’t. Bloom co-wrote the series with her husband Dan Gregor. Stern co-starred on the pilot as Freddy, “the gruff patriarch of the Zilbalodis family.”
The charge against Stern was publicized by TMZ on January 12, about a month after the incident in question reportedly occurred, and shortly after prosecutors decided to formally charge him. Neither Stern, nor ABC, have made public comments about his departure from Do You Want Kids?
Although best known for his work in TV and film in the ’80s and ’90s, Stern has continued to appear regularly on modern TV. He had a recurring role on Aidy Bryant’s Hulu series Shrill, and had a starring role in the most recent season of Apple TV+’s For All Mankind. His part in Do You Want Kids? is now being recast.