I’m not entirely clear on how killing off Donna will pay respect to Erinn Hayes’ portrayal, but it may be much more straightforward once the second season kicks off in September.
Well, one thing is evident: Rob Long and Co. didn’t replace Erinn Hayes because of any bad blood toward her.
A lot depends on how the show handles Donna’s death right off the bat in the new season.
His comments indicate that he respects his former leading lady, and they follow up on CBS’ Entertainment President Kelly Kahl’s statement that Hayes “did a great job,” but was ultimately replaced because Leah Remini’s appearance as a guest star proved that she and former King of Queens co-star Kevin James still had tons of chemistry together.