It’s now been two days since news (or at least rumors) about Laura Prepon leaving Netflix’s Orange is the New Black came out, and the actress has yet to acknowledge the situation publicly.
The whole thing started on Wednesday, when BuzzFeed wrote an article: “Laura Prepon is Leaving ‘Orange Is The New Black’ (For Now, At Least).”
The report indicated that she would only be back for a limited number of episodes in the forthcoming season to resolve her story, and that the door would be left open for her to return in the future. It said she didn’t sign a contract tying her to the show for the upcoming season. The report cited “sources close to the show.”
Following the BuzzFeed report, various news outlets like The Huffington Post and The Hollywood Reporter got a canned statement from Netflix:
“Our season is still developing and nothing is confirmed.”
According to HuffPost, Netflix indicated that rumors about Prepon leaving are “not accurate”.
As far as we can tell, the whole thing is simply still up in the air, which is probably why Prepon and her representation have remained silent on the matter. No statements on her end. After regularly tweeting about the show, Prepon’s Twitter account has been quiet since August 1st.
Perhaps negotiations will keep her around for more, or maybe the show is simply going in a different direction. We do know that we’ll be seeing expanded stories from some of the other characters, given that actresses Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning and Uzo Aduba have all been promoted to series regulars. The show has also picked up at least one new cast member with the addition of Lorraine Toussaint.
Either way, OITNB’s second season began filming last month. Netflix renewed it even before the first season premiered, and the next chapter is due out on an unspecified date in 2014.
While OITNB came out a little too late to get any Emmy attention this year (Netflix shows have accumulated 14 nominations), it will almost certainly be in the race next year, if buzz and critical acclaim are any indication.
Prepon, by the way, was the most searched-for cast member (at least on Bing), even before news of her possible departure came out.
On a sadder note, Prepon’s former That 70s Show co-star Lisa Robin Kelly was found dead this week.
Image: Laura Prepon (Instagram)