The Real Brady Bunch: How One Actor's Controversy Killed a Reboot

A world where we see the grown-up Brady Bunch siblings living their adult lives. This dream was almost a reality with a planned reboot at CBS Studios. But something cut the project short—controversial comments made by the actress who played Cindy, Susan Olsen. Susan shared this story on the #WalkAway Campaign podcast. The reboot was supposed to show how the Brady kids had grown up, with their own families. Cindy was set to be a libertarian podcaster, reflecting Susan's real-life personality. But trouble struck when the studio discovered a private message from Susan that was both homophobic and inflammatory. This led to her firing from L. A. Talk Radio. Seeing this, CBS Studios took a deep dive into Susan's past. They compiled a 50-page document filled with her controversial comments. This massive collection of content was enough for the studio to decide they couldn’t have her in the show. Susan was shocked, saying, "I've been canceled". Susan thought the problem stemmed from her support for Donald Trump. However, insiders say it was her past comments and hate speech that caused the issue. CBS Studios kept quiet on the matter, but the reboot was clearly off the table. During the podcast, Susan stood by her comments, calling them her "greatest hits". She stated, "if I put it out there, then I meant it". Before the controversy, CBS Studios had offered Susan a chance to take a course to address the homophobic incident. Susan agreed, hoping it would help the show move forward. But things turned bad when the studio found her past was too controversial to overcome. In the end, Susan was ready to learn and grow with media experts, but the reboot was already killed. All because of her public persona.