‘The Baker and the Beauty’ Star Nathalie Kelley Calls ABC ‘Tone Deaf’ Over Show’s Cancellation

ABC brought down the ax on one of its newest shows, The Baker and the Beauty, and in doing so, ticked off the series’ star, Nathalie Kelley. In a statement she put out, Kelley called the decision by the network to cut the show “tone deaf.” She cited that it comes at an unfortunate time when “the public is marching in the streets demanding representation and diversity.”

Kelley was born in Peru while her co-star, Victor Rasuk, comes from Dominican roots. The actress began her message by saying representation is vital and how they are represented “determines how society sees us.” She explained how it’s unfortunate Hollywood tends to show those of her and co-star’s descent as “narcos and maids.” In her mind, The Baker and the Beauty, did an excellent job of shining a new light on their culture, as it showed that their families are “warm, lovable, full of joy and compassion and humor.”

“A cancellation by ABC means that there are now no shows on the networks with a Latin cast,” Kelley went on, before sharing that there remains hope another network or streaming service would pick up future seasons. She closed out her statement by referring to a petition to save the show that is going around, concluding that, “We need to send a message to these platforms that diversity matters.” As of this writing, the petition, which is labeled, “Renew Baker and the Beauty. Let’s ensure this show gets picked up by another network!,” has more than 134,000 signatures. Initially, the goal was 150,000.

In its reasoning, the petition noted that both the cast and writing were endearing and that what ABC did was a “disservice.” Many in the comments shared their support in hopes of getting the show to find another home. One comment read, “This is a great family show with lots of great diversity teaching moments.” Another echoed a similar sentiment, “This show was a bright spot during the last few months. The diversity the show brings makes it even more valuable for the world to see! Give us season 2 please!!!”

The Baker and the Beauty premiered on April 13. The first season featured eight episodes before ABC ultimately cut it from the rotation. There is no word on any interest from other networks of streaming services.