Amy Jo Johnson shuts down claims she turned down Power Rangers reunion special over money: 'Simply not true'
The reason for Amy Jo Johnson's absence from the upcoming Power Rangers reunion special is none of our beeswax — at least according to her.
The actress and director, who played Pink Ranger/Kimberly Hart on the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, has shut down claims that she declined a role in Netflix's 30th-anniversary special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always over money.
"Please stop saying I didn't do reunion because of money. Simply not true," she tweeted Sunday before joking, "Maybe I just didn't want to wear spandex in my 50s."
Dia Dipasupil/Getty for ReedPOP ; Jim Townley/Saban/Toei/Kobal/Shutterstock Amy Jo Johnson; Johnson as her Power Ranger character
Or, she said, perhaps she couldn't travel to New Zealand to film for a month. Or perhaps it's "none of [your] beeswax," Johnson added.
Please stop saying I didn’t do reunion because of money Simply not true. Maybe I just didn’t want to wear spandex in my 50s 🤣 or couldn’t go to NZ for a month.Or none of ur beeswax 🐝 JDF & I both chose not to for our own reasons. They filmed before he passed. #PowerRangers
— Amy Jo Johnson (@_amyjojohnson) March 26, 2023
The movie was filmed before alum Jason David Frank's unexpected death, Johnson said, and the two chose not to reprise their roles for their "own reasons."
Frank, who played Tommy Oliver, the antagonistic Green and later reformed White Ranger on the 1993 series, died in November at the age of 49 by suicide. Initially set for a limited episode arc, Frank became such a fan favorite that he was brought back as the reformed White Ranger and the new leader of the team for the remainder of the series, which concluded in 1996.
Johnson previously clarified her absence from the project by stating that she "never said no" per se. "I just didn't say yes to what was offered," she wrote on Twitter. "But other fun stuff is in store! Looking forward to watching my friends kick ass!"
For the record I never said no…I just didn’t say yes to what was offered. But other fun stuff is in-store! Looking forward to watching my friends kick ass! 😘 #PowerRangers30
— Amy Jo Johnson (@_amyjojohnson) January 18, 2023
Walter Emanuel Jones (Zack/Black Ranger) and David Yost (Billy Cranston/Blue Ranger) are set to reprise their roles in Netflix's Once & Always reunion series, which premieres April 19. The special will follow the Rangers as they come face-to-face with a familiar threat from the past in the midst of a global crisis. It also stars season 3 alum Catherine Sutherland (Kat/Pink Ranger) and season 2's Steve Cardenas (Rocky/Red Ranger), Karan Ashley (Aisha/Yellow Ranger), and Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam/Black Ranger).
Everett Collection The 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' cast
The special will also feature Barbara Goodson (as the voice of Rita Repulsa); Richard Horvitz (as the voice of Alpha 5); and newcomer Charlie Kersh as Minh, the daughter of original Yellow Ranger Trini, played by the late Thuy Trang.
The actress died in a car accident in 2001 at the age of 27. Trang's death is incorporated into the special, as revealed in Netflix's recently released trailer for it. The Yellow Ranger meets her demise at the hands of Rita Repulsa, and her daughter is out for vengeance.
Watch the trailer for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always above.
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