Daniel Stern Leaves ABC Pilot “Do You Want Kids?” Following Prostitution Scandal
Daniel Stern has been dropped from the ABC pilot Do You Want Kids? following his solicitation scandal.
As reported by Deadline on Thursday, January 15, the 68-year-old actor will no longer participate in the comedy, which features Rachel Bloom and Rory Scovel. His role will be recast according to the publication.
Stern was confirmed as a series regular in the single-camera comedy in December 2025. The show follows the couple Rosie (Bloom) and Alex Zilbalodis (Scovel), who balance having a child in one universe while being child-free in another. The narrative explores how the significant choice to start a family impacts their lives. Do You Want Kids? — co-written by Bloom and her husband, Dan Gregor, originally had Stern portraying the Zilbalodis patriarch.
Us Weekly has sought comments from ABC regarding the situation.
Stern’s departure follows news that the Home Alone actor faced one misdemeanor count for soliciting prostitution.
Documents obtained by Us Weekly indicate that Stern was charged on Monday, January 12, with “engaging and agreeing to engage in prostitution” in Ventura County, California. Although his arraignment was initially set for Tuesday, January 13, it has been postponed to February 6, as reported by TMZ. If found guilty, the actor could face six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
According to police documents obtained by TMZ, Stern received a citation for soliciting prostitution on December 10, 2025, at a hotel in Camarillo, California. He was not arrested in connection with this incident.
Daniel Stern. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SBIFF)
“As far as I know, he was cited at the location and released,” attorney and spokesperson Joey Buttitta informed People during that time.
Us Weekly reached out to Stern’s representatives for a statement.
Stern is renowned for his role as the “wet bandit” Marv alongside Joe Pesci and Macaulay Culkin in the 1990 classic Home Alone and its sequel, 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in November 2015, Stern reflected on how being in the iconic films has positively affected his life.
“What a way for me to go through my life when people lose themselves to me in that way,” he shared at the time. “It changed my life; it opened doors for people connecting with me, wanting to share their childhood experiences and how they celebrate Christmas, how it made them laugh.”
Stern wed his wife, Laure Mattos, in 1980. They renewed their vows during a surprise ceremony on a 2019 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The couple has three children: daughters Ella and Sophie, and son Henry, who is a California senator.
The Wonder Years alum also made headlines in October 2025 when he was hospitalized due to an undisclosed medical emergency. According to TMZ, after being assessed by firefighters at his California residence and transported to a nearby hospital, Stern was later released. His representative confirmed the actor was in good health.
