Claudia Black Exits ‘Ahsoka’ Season 2 Over Pay Dispute: “Very Sad For Me”

As the “Star Wars” series gears up for another season, Ahsoka Tano and her crew will be missing one key member when they return.

According to Deadline, Claudia Black, who portrayed the Nightsister Klothow in the first season of Disney+’s Ahsoka, will not be returning for the next season. Black disclosed that the compensation offered was insufficient to justify the time away from her home for the shoot.

“To be open about it,” she began, “they greenlit Season 2 and planned to bring me back, but then Disney restructured their budgeting and couldn’t meet my financial needs as a single mom with responsibilities in Los Angeles, as the filming was in London. Sadly, it just wasn’t feasible, and I had to step down,” she explained to Bleeding Cool. Lucasfilm chose not to comment on the matter.

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Black expressed her disappointment, “It was heartbreaking,” she continued. “I even emailed Dave Filoni to express my gratitude, reflecting on the journey, stating, ‘What a ride!’ For someone like me, who was raised on the Star Wars saga during the 70s and 80s, it was a delight to be part of such a dynamic setting. I truly cherished the experience and the wonderful people, from the directors to the innovative work on ‘The Volume.'”

In the 2023 debut season of Ahsoka, Black was one of the three Dathomirian Nightsisters of Peridia (alongside Jeryl Prescott Gallien and Jane Edwina Seymour), a group of witches who align themselves with Grand Admiral Thrawn (played by Lars Mikkelsen) after he rouses them from an ancient slumber.

Black described the set as “a fun, playful space,” noting, “It was great to connect over something that resonated with my younger son, who loved The Clone Wars—an updated version for his generation.”

She shared a personal anecdote: “He overheard me once, despite the strict NDAs, and immediately guessed it involved the Nightsisters. His curiosity peaked instantly, asking about the show. It was special sharing that with him, but it’s truly unfortunate I can’t continue. They call it ‘show business’ for good reason. It’s about 90 percent business, 10 percent show. Sadly, their budget couldn’t accommodate a single mom, and while it’s disappointing, I recognize the tough market conditions and the financial pressures they face. We all had to make tough choices and move on.”

At the “Star Wars Celebration” panel in April, Filoni hinted that production for Season 2 was about to commence.