Leslie David Baker — star of hit NBC series The Office — will return funds collected to make a spin-off based on his character, Stanley Hudson.
What was The Office spin-off about?
In 2020, Baker launched a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to create a spin-off of The Office based on his character Stanley titled Uncle Stan. In the spin-off, Stanley would come out of retirement in Florida and move to Los Angeles, where he’d help his nephew run a motorcycle/flower shop business.
At the time, Baker asked for $300,000 in the campaign. The project managed to earn $336,450 from 1,640 backers by the end of its run.
In a new update on the project’s Kickstarter page (via Variety) and on Baker’s Instagram, Baker addressed allegations that he had simply taken the funds and used them for his own purposes. Baker denied those rumors and apologized for the delay, acknowledging that a litany of issues kept the project from releasing sooner.
“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.”