South Park has been in the news a lot these days, as a licensing war between Warner Bros, Paramount, and the creators of the series rages on. Thanks to this legal battle, the upcoming twenty-seventh season was pushed back several weeks from its original release date, leaving many fans to wonder if the show will still arrive this summer. While this war would be news enough on its own, new riveting information has been released regarding a past character’s departure. In a new statement from Isaac Hayes III, the son of the actor/musician who played Chef, Hayes explains what transpired between his father and the Comedy Central series.
Sharing a new post on social media, Isaac Hayes III explained why his father had left South Park, “For over 14 years, people have speculated about why my father @isaachayes left South Park. I’m here to set the record straight. My dad did not quit South Park. Scientology did. After the episode “Trapped in the Closet” aired in 2005, my father suffered a stroke just a few months later that left him unable to speak or make decisions on his own. He was not in any condition to resign from anything. The truth is, someone else within his Scientology circle made that decision and quit the show for him.”
Chef’s Love For South Park
Hayes III continued, “He loved being the voice of Chef. He loved the character. He loved connecting with fans. He would joke with people who recognized his voice and he truly enjoyed being part of the show. The narrative that he quit because he was offended by the satire is not true. That was a cover story created by others. My father never got to speak for himself because his health robbed him of that chance. So now I am speaking for him. He did not leave South Park willingly. He was forced out by illness and by people who did not have his best interest at heart. This is for anyone who loved Chef. This is for anyone who admired my father’s work. This is the truth about what really happened.”
While Hayes would originally leave the series before Chef did so, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone didn’t recast the manager of the school’s cafeteria. Instead, South Park presented an episode dubbed “The Return of Chef” in the show’s tenth season, which used previously recorded soundbites from Isaac Hayes and transformed the character into “Darth Chef.” Brainwashed by the “Super Adventure Club,” the animated character’s fate wasn’t a happy one but Chef himself still has a lasting impact on the small Colorado town that went on to become one of the biggest animated series of all time.
Want to stay in the loop when it comes to the misadventures of Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on South Park and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime, or hit us up in the comments.
The post South Park Star’s Son Explains Father’s Departure From The Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.