Kristen Bell Returns to Central Park as a New Character

Kristen Bell is taking another stroll through Central Park. 

The actress will voice the new character of Abby on season three of the Apple TV+ animated series, according to Deadline.

Abby is the younger sister of Paige, voiced by her Bad Moms co-star Kathryn Hahn.

On the first season of Central Park, Bell voiced Molly, the mixed-race daughter of Paige and Owen (Leslie Odom Jr.). 

When she turned over the role in June 2020, Bell released a statement owning up to the miscasting. 

“This is a time to acknowledge our acts of complicity,” her statement read. “Here is one of mine. Playing the character of Molly on Central Park shows a lack of awareness of my pervasive privilege. Casting a mixed race character with a white actress undermines the specificity of the mixed race and Black American experience. It was wrong and we, on the Central Park team, are pledging to make it right.”

She, “I am happy to relinquish this role to someone who can give a much more accurate portrayal and I will commit to learning, growing, and doing my part for equality and inclusion.”

The Umbrella Academy‘s Molly Emmy Raver-Lampman was eventually re-cast as Molly for season two.