Leslie David Baker, who played Stanley Hudson on “The Office,” is returning Kickstarter money to supporters who tried to get his “Stanley” spinoff up and running.
Baker announced on social media that he is returning donations totaling $110,629.81.
The Kickstarter campaign first launched in 2020, with Baker saying the spinoff would be titled “Uncle Stan” and feature Stanley coming out of retirement in Florida.
Supporters of the spinoff recently took to social media to ask what Baker did with the money since the “Uncle Stan” show has not been made. Baker released a statement saying he was returning the money because the project faced delays due to the pandemic and the ongoing entertainment industry strikes.
“We apologize about the delay in updates,” Baker wrote. “We have been working behind the scenes to get everything on track and rewards fulfilled. We are just as excited as all of you to get this project out and truly appreciate all of your patience and support. The project took longer than anticipated due to circumstances beyond our control.”
He continued, “As you are all aware, SAG is now on strike and we will continue to be on hold indefinitely until an agreement is reached. We stand in solidarity with those in the entertainment industry and will do our part in supporting WGA and SAG during these times.”
“In light of the current economic situation, we felt that this was the best course of action. You will receive a message notifying you of your refund as soon as it is issued and you can expect to receive it over the following weeks,” Baker continued. “We will also be contacting Kickstarter to facilitate expediting this matter. We have remained in constant communication with our backers via direct messaging and rewards have continued to be fulfilled during this time.”