The Regretful Cut: Star Trek's Missing Character Haunts Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, regretted cutting the character Yeoman Janice Rand from the show. Actress Grace Lee Whitney, who played Rand, left the series after being sexually assaulted by an executive. Whitney's departure was initially attributed to the desire for Captain Kirk to have multiple love interests, but Roddenberry later admitted that he regretted the decision and wished he had kept Rand on the show. Whitney returned for several Star Trek movies and left a lasting legacy.