OG Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson will always have a special place in the hearts of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fans. So when Netflix’s upcoming MMPR special Once and Always, was announced, the fanbase was excited by the prospect of seeing most of the original team back together. Many were ultimately disappointed, however, when they learned that Johnson and co-stars Austin St. John and Jason David Frank (who was approached well ahead of his passing) weren’t participating in the 30th anniversary special. Since then rumors have been swirling that Johnson passed over money, and she's setting the record straight on that assumption.
This isn't the first time the actress has spoken out on the subject. Months ago, Amy Jo Johnson spoke about not being in the special, explaining that she "never said no…I just didn’t say yes to what was offered." Many fans took this is a comment on her financial compensation, it seems. With that, the fan-favorite actress hopped on Twitter to clear the air. And the Felicity star gave a cheeky and stern rebuttal to the barrage of fan questions, tweeting:
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. ... Excited to see my pals @David_Yost & @Walterejones rock it though!!
According to her, there are a multitude of reasons why she didn’t join her colleagues for the production. The former Mighty Morphin star has been splitting her time between raising her children and directing film and TV projects in recent years. So one factor could be that she just didn't have the bandwidth. Also, as she mentioned, squeezing into spandex when you're over the age of 40 may not be the funnest thing for a person to do.
While she’s not appearing in the streaming special, Amy Jo Johnson did express excitement over seeing David Yost and Walter Jones back in action as Billy and Zack, respectively. So if anything, it's wonderful to see that the MMPR anniversary tribute has her full support. Of course, Kimberly will still be sorely missed by those who love the franchise.
While MMPR: Once and Always looks like an awesome addition to the canon, it arrives at a very bittersweet time. Last year, the fandom mourned Jason David Frank following his tragic death by suicide. His passing led to an outpouring of tributes from his Power Rangers family, including Amy Jo Johnson. Before his death, Frank had announced he wouldn’t participate in the special for various reasons.
Though Amy Jo Johnson and the other OGs will be missed, fans can look forward to seeing David Yost and Walter Jones reunite with MMPR stars Steve Cardenas, Karan Ashley, Johnny Yong Bosch and Catherine Sutherland in the eagerly anticipated streaming special. The actors will be joined by franchise newcomer Charlie Kersh, who plays Minh -- the daughter of OG Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan. So rest assured, fans, as Johnson's fellow rangers will more than be able to hold things down.
Mighty Morphin Power Ranger: Once and Always will premiere on April 19, so be sure to grab a Netflix subscription to check it out. Also, before it arrives, learn about the new TV shows on Netflix that are being released this year.
