Claudia Black will not return for the second season of Disney+’s Star Wars: Ahsoka, saying she exited after the studio declined to meet the pay she needed as a single mother while production moved to London. In an interview cited by TheWrap, the actress explained that Disney, amid a new internal structure, could not offer terms that covered her family responsibilities in Los Angeles, so she “had to bow out” of Season 2. Disney has not publicly addressed her comments or the specific negotiation.
Black said she had been told she would return when the show was renewed, then learned the deal on offer would not sustain a temporary relocation. She described the choice as “very sad,” stressing that she was grateful for the chance to play Nightsister Klothow and for the “playful” working environment on the series, and said she emailed Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni to thank him for the experience.
Klothow, leader of the three Great Mothers allied with Grand Admiral Thrawn, appeared in the back half of Ahsoka Season 1 and was expected by many fans to remain central as the story shifts toward Dathomir and the Nightsisters. The first season shot at Manhattan Beach Studios in California; the new run began filming in the United Kingdom in April 2025 and is planned as an eight-episode season for Disney+.
Black framed her exit as part of a tougher economic climate rather than a personal feud. She said “they call it show business for a reason,” describing the industry as “90 percent business and 10 percent show,” and added that “market forces” have made it harder to finance ambitious genre series. That language mirrors Disney chief executive Bob Iger’s push to cut billions in costs and reset streaming around profitability, including reduced content spending and tighter controls on series budgets.
Her remarks have fed a wider conversation about how major studios support working parents. Coverage and social media discussion have highlighted her reference to Disney being unable to “support a single mom,” with some viewers criticizing the company for not accommodating an established genre performer, and others pointing to the pressure on studios to hold the line on salaries during a cost-cutting cycle. Commenters have also questioned what Black’s departure means for Ahsoka’s second season, now deep into production in the U.K., since Lucasfilm has not announced whether Klothow will be recast, written out, or replaced by another Nightsister figure.
