Daniel Stern's Prostitution Charge Gets Him Dropped From Pilot: Sources

ABC recasts sitcom patriarch role after misdemeanor prostitution charge: sources
Posted Jan 16, 2026 12:00 AM CST
Daniel Stern's Prostitution Charge Gets Him Dropped From Pilot: Sources
FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2009, file photo, actor Daniel Stern attends the world premiere screening of 'Whip It' during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto.   (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

ABC is reportedly cutting ties with Daniel Stern as the actor faces a misdemeanor prostitution charge. The Home Alone actor has been dropped from the network's comedy pilot Do You Want Kids?, according to Deadline's sources. Stern had been cast in December as a series regular, playing Freddy, the tough father of Rory Scovel's character in the show centered on a married couple—played by Scovel and Rachel Bloom—whose life together diverges in two timelines depending on whether they have a child. ABC and producer 20th Television will now recast the role, sources say. Entertainment Weekly later confirmed the news with its own sources.

Stern was charged Monday with one misdemeanor count of engaging or agreeing to engage in prostitution, stemming from a Dec. 10 citation by Ventura County sheriff's deputies at a Camarillo, California, hotel. His arraignment, originally set for this week, was postponed to Feb. 6, TMZ reported earlier this week. If convicted, he faces up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

Do You Want Kids? is a single-camera comedy directed by Trent O'Donnell. Bloom co-wrote the pilot with her husband, writer Dan Gregor; they executive produce alongside Steven Levitan, Danielle Stokdyk, and Jeff Morton.

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