By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com, originally filed September 1, 2011
Last month, news leaked out that lead actress Stacey Dash was departing VH1's "Single Ladies," which shot season one here in Atlanta. She finally confirmed the news yesterday.
"I have to be back in L.A. with my children right now and the 'Single Ladies' shooting location [in Atlanta] makes this impossible," Dash said in a statement exclusively to GlobalGrind. "I wish VH1 the best of luck with the show in maintaining the strong fan base we developed in Season 1."
Indeed, VH1 finally released a statement confirming her departure after giving vague responses a month ago.
“VH1 respects Stacey’s decision and her commitment to what she feels is best for her family. We thank her for all of her hard work in making 'Single Ladies' a success right out of the gate, and we wish her nothing but the best in her future plans.â€
So Dash, 45, is leaving a hit show and a steady paycheck after just one season because of the cross-country grind?
It's easy to be skeptical of her public rationale for leaving. First of all, Dash's career has hardly been in overdrive lately and competition in the acting world is fierce. "Single Ladies" is one of VH1's hottest shows and has already been given a green light for a second season. It has raised her profile for the first time in years.
For her to just get out of her contract is hard to believe since most production companies tie actors down for several years in TV series.
Plus, "Single Ladies" shoots may last five months max for 13 episodes, leaving seven months open for other projects or being at home with family. This is not the heavy load that broadcast shows such as "House" or "NCIS" have with 22-episode obligations and nine-month-a-year shoots.
More logically, she was fired. Production companies can do that any time they want the way contracts are written. But since she was the best-known name on the show, why would a production company do that? Was she truly the diva insiders say she was?
If that were the case, her statement above was a disingenuous way to save face along the lines of disgraced politicians resigning "to spend more time with the family."
VH1 has not said how it's going to deal with her character Val, who owns a clothing boutique in Buckhead. That boutique was a central meeting place for the show's main characters. Producers could pull a "Bewitched" and swap Val out with a different actress. Or they could pull a "Three's Company" and introduce a new character to replace Val.
According to imdb.com, Dashhas a son, who was born in 1991, and a daughter, who was born in 2003. Last year, TMZ reported she put a restraining order against her third husband Emmanuel Xuereb. Imdb.com says they are separated.
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By Rodney Ho, rho@ajc.com, AJCRadioTV blog
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