‘The Office’ Star Leslie David Baker Refunds $300,000 In Donations Received For Spinoff For His Character Stanley Hudson

The Office actor Leslie David Baker has announced that all donations given for a spinoff focused on his character, Stanley Hudson, will be refunded.

Baker shared in an Instagram post that he planned to send back the money from a Kickstarter campaign in 2020 for a proposed spinoff, Uncle Stan. The show intended to center around a retired Stan’s nephew asking him to help with his two kids and running a motorcycle/flower shop. The campaign’s goal was $300,000.

In a statement, Baker wrote, “We apologize about the delay in updates. 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.”

Baker explained that the original project was held up “because of the COVID lockdowns.”

Even with Baker and his team still intending to make the show, the current writers’ and actors’ strikes have caused the show “to be on hold indefinitely until an agreement is reached.”

“After careful consideration, we have decided to refund our backers,” he wrote. He also reassured that they’d make good on backers’ prizes “as a token of our appreciation for your support and patience.”

“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. 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, ” Baker continued.

“We sincerely apologize for any miscommunication or inconvenience during this campaign… Thank you for all your love and support,” the statement ended.

Baker played Stanley for nine seasons of The Office. He began hinting at a possible return of his character in multiple videos shared on his Instagram. In one video, the actor said, “Yeah, I’m back” in character. The actor finished the video with, “And I’m going to need a cocktail if I’m staying.”

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In another video, Baker showed appreciation for fans’ support of the campaign and shared his goal “to bring a high-quality program and involve all of the fans that have been so supportive. Yes, this project is real, it is legitimate, and it will be a pleasure to bring it to you with your help.”