Like she was never there. When When Calls the Heart returns with new episodes this week, Lori Loughlin’s Abigail Station will be gone.
The season 6 poster for the Hallmark original series originally featured Loughlin as Abigail, Erin Krakow’s Elizabeth Thatcher and Jack Wagner’s Bill Avery, all sitting front and center. The Facebook page for the series cut Loughlin from their cover photo on March 14, the day the network announced they were cutting all ties with the star. At the time, Wagner and Krakow remained at the top.
On Monday, April 22, they changed the poster again, moving Wagner down to the bottom of the poster with Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith, Chris McNally and Kevin McGarry. Additionally, Loughlin’s name no longer appears on the cast list.
The actress, 54, has been part of the series since its 2014 debut; she also led all 15 Garage Sale Mystery films, which air on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel and has appeared in four original films for the network.
Earlier this month, Hallmark announced that When Calls the Heart will return with new episodes in May. However, Abigail will reportedly be edited out and due to reshoots, this season will be six episodes instead of the planned seven.
Executive producer Brian Bird opened up about the changes on Instagram on April 10. “Life throws all of us painful curveballs, and the only way to survive is to walk right through them with courage, grace, a forgiving spirit, and most of all, hope,” he wrote at the time. “Many of you have wondered what the future holds for our cast and crew, and for the citizens of Hope Valley. Your care and concern means the world to us, and the best way we can thank you is to encourage you the way you encourage us because… Hope always lives here.”
Hallmark cut ties with Loughlin following her March arrest for her alleged part in the college admissions scam. She and husband Mossimo Giannulli were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, as well as money laundering, after allegedly paying $500,000 to secure their daughters, Bella, 20, and Olivia Jane, 19, admission to USC. The pair pleaded not guilty on April 15.
When Calls the Heart returns to Hallmark Sunday, May 5, at 8 p.m. ET. A special second episode will air on Monday, May 6, at 8 p.m. ET.
