Susan Olsen Discussed Brady Bunch Reboot
Susan Olsen, best known for her role as Cindy Brady on The Brady Bunch, revealed in a recent interview that a potential reboot of the classic sitcom was scrapped—allegedly due to her political views. The 63-year-old actress, who envisioned a reboot where the Brady kids grew up to hold diverse political beliefs, claimed she was deemed “too controversial” to reprise her role.
On the WalkAway Campaign podcast, Olsen outlined the show's concept, which was to mirror the format of the 2018 Roseanne reboot—a family dealing with internal political divides but ultimately bonded by mutual respect and love.
In this updated version, Greg Brady (played by Barry Williams) would represent a "Reagan Republican" archetype, Jan Brady would be the liberal voice, and Cindy, reflecting Olsen’s real-life views, would take on the role of a libertarian podcaster. For Olsen, it was an exciting prospect to bring genuine discussions to the screen, portraying characters who could disagree respectfully.
Yet, according to Olsen, production halted when her political beliefs became a sticking point. “What kind of show would this be if I can’t say anything that’s controversial?” Olsen asked, recounting conversations with her former castmates and agent, who informed her that network executives were unwilling to keep her in the cast.
She claimed, “I’ve been canceled. A role that I’ve played for over 50 years, I can’t play it now because I’m too dangerous.”
Olsen’s political leanings have courted controversy before. In 2016, she was removed from her Los Angeles talk radio show, Two Chicks Talkin’ Politics, following a clash with guest Leon Acord-Whiting, who criticized her as a “Trump fanatic” and accused her of spreading misinformation. Acord-Whiting’s public post, allegedly containing private messages from Olsen, led the station to cut ties.
For the Brady Bunch reboot, Olsen claims CBS executives gathered a dossier of her past remarks, identifying what they considered controversial views. Topics included her public skepticism about COVID vaccines and opposition to gender-affirming surgeries for minors.
The network purportedly suggested she take a political correctness course if needed, but Olsen’s stance remained firm. “They did a web search, and they came up with 50 pages,” she explained, adding, “To be honest, those 50 pages were my greatest hits. I stand by everything I said.”
As attempts to salvage the project wore on, Olsen described a “Zoom inquisition” with the showrunner, producer, and her agent. She was questioned on her positions regarding these “hot-button issues.” At one point, her agent floated the idea of bypassing CBS, but Olsen decided to step away from the project. “At this point, you’re going to have a woke Brady Bunch, and I want no part of it,” she declared.