The Pregnant Pause: Celebration or Kiss of Death?

[RuAsRuAnAu]

When DePaiva was pregnant in 1997, she didn't care whether her pregnancy was written into OLTL (it was). DePaiva: "Mine was definitely not a planned story event, but I gave Maxine [Levinson] (Executive Producer at the time) a story [idea], and they went with it. She asked for a nine weeks maternity leave and got it. Source: http://www.k-depaiva.com/interviews/baby.htm

Kelly Ripa strongly wanted her 1997 pregnancy to be written into AMC, but it wasn't. Her pregnancy came just as AMC was launching Maria and Erica's baby saga, incorporating another pregnancy story wasn't an option. Ripa was disappointed. She asked for three months off, but ABC Daytime gave her six weeks. Source: http://www.k-depaiva.com/interviews/baby.htm

Maura West became pregnant & left ATWT in 1996.

When Kelly M. Hensley, Maura West, and Martha Bryne became pregnant around the same time, Sheffer had their characters kidnapped by Barbara Ryan so they could hide their growing bellies.

Kari Wurher was fired from GH in 2005. It was reported that JFP didn't like the fact that she became pregnant.

When Martha Byrne was pregnant in 2006, ATWT's Passanante wrote it into the show. To make it easier for taping/maternity leave, Lily was in a coma.

Any more examples of actresses quitting or being fired from the show because they were pregnant? If the actress did stay, was her pregnancy written into the show? If so, how'd they go about it?

[stenbeck212]

Fired? Besides Hunter Tylo on Melrose Place, I don't know...

[billyjill]

Not about quitting or firing, but supposedly the producers on Days out and out told Missy Reeves to get pregnant so that they could backburner her and Matt Ashford's characters in 1992. They did write it into the show, Jennifer gave birth to Abby Deveraux in October that year.

[Money]

[Cheap21]

I think one of the best known cases is Laura Koffman (Cassie, OLTL). She got pregnant and JFP fired her while she was on maternity

[juppiter]

ATWT has been the most pregnant soap in recent years.

In 2000, Maura West, Lesli Kay, and Ellen Dolan were all pregnant at around the same time.

In 2001, Maura, Kelley Hensley, and Martha Byrne.

In 2004, Terri Colombino.

In 2006, Martha Byrne, Maura, and Kelley Hensley.

[Cheap21]

thats like a writer's nightmare. Maura and Martha especially seem to get pregnant very often, and both are lead actresses on the show

[Scotty]

Exactly....that was the first one that came to my mind.

[stenbeck212]

Hell, when they finally get around to maternity leave, I'm usually more than ready for Lily or Carly to take a break. You can't get a scene in edgewise unless it's about their characters.

[P.J.]

Lesli Kay's contract with GH wasn't renewed after she got pregnant while working there. That was after the Kari Wuhrer controversey too.

[poohbear19]

I was just going to mention this.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

Had Koffman given birth at the time of her firing?

[Cheap21]

I beleive so

[RuAsRuAnAu]

Both of Melody Thomas Scott's pregnancies were written into Y&R. Years: 1982 & 1988. She's lunky she wasn't fired from the show.

Amelia Heinle's pregnancy was written into the show. The father of Heinle's baby is her husband/co-star, Thad Luckinbill. I don't know who will be the father of Victoria Newman's baby. With LML, it'll probably be a MIUAYG type thing.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

What happened to the Wuhrer case? Was a ruling made?