Several Hallmark stars have been forced to drop out of the upcoming Christmas Con in Kansas City. Catherine Bell, Brennan Elliott, Jen Lilley, and Rachel Boston will no longer appear at the three-day event in Overland Park, Kansas. Convention organizers posted the news on their Instagram page.
“Catherine, Rachel and Jen have to cancel their appearance due to a change in filming schedules,” read the post by That’s 4 Entertainment. “We look forward to having these ladies back with us in a future show!”
Brennan Elliott made the announcement on his own Instagram page.
“Off to another filming journey, and wanted to say that I will miss all you #brennies,” he wrote.
Hallmark star Andrew Walker, who will be appearing at the convention, responded to Elliott in the comments section.
“Going to miss ya buddy. But go bring the people another one of your masterpieces!!” he wrote.
Hallmark stars
The Hallmark stars have all had a change in filming schedules, according to That’s 4 Entertainment, the company that organizes the convention.
Projects are being moved up due to a possible strike by the Screen Actors Guild. According to Reuters, all 160,000 union members have been asked to vote by June 5 on whether to go on strike in advance of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on June 7.
The complaints are similar to the ones brought by members of the Writers Guild of America, which began striking on May 2.
Among the complaints brought by union members are the shorter duration of television shooting schedules, which means longer periods of time actors go without steady pay, and smaller amounts paid to actors from residuals.
Christmas Con
The organizers of the upcoming convention made it clear that other Hallmark stars — including Andrew Walker, Tyler Hynes, Brooke D’Orsay, Taylor Cole, Autumn Reeser, and Wes Brown — will still be appearing at the event.
Kansas City Christmas Con 2023 will run from June 9-11 at the Overland Park Convention Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
It is one of two Christmas conventions That’s 4 Entertainment holds every year for fans of Hallmark, Lifetime, and Great American Family Christmas movies. The events include celebrity photo ops and meet-and-greets, a Christmas marketplace, and Christmas movie panels.
Both Rachel Boston and Jen Lilley commented on the Instagram page for That’s 4 Entertainment.
“I love you love you love you Christmas Con! I cannot wait til the fall!” Lilley wrote.
“I’m going to miss seeing you all!!! Can’t wait to see you at the next one,” Boston wrote.