'When Calls the Heart' Star Erin Krakow Sets the Record Straight About Her Relationship With Lori Loughlin

From Good Housekeeping

• Hallmark Channel cut ties with Lori Loughlin following news of her involvement in the nationwide college admissions scandal.

• At the time, she was starring in the sixth season of When Calls the Heart.

• Erin Krakow, who plays Elizabeth on the show, has been vocal about her support for Lori.

Hope Valley isn't the same without Abigail Stanton.

Halfway through season six, it was revealed that Abigail, played by Lori Loughlin, left Hope Valley to take care of her ailing mother. This came just weeks after Crown Media Family Networks, the parent company who owns Hallmark Channel, cut ties with Lori for her involvement in the nationwide college admissions bribery scandal.

In the time since, several members of the When Calls the Heart cast have come out to show their support for Lori: Jack Wagner, who plays Bill Avery, compared Lori's absence on the show to "the five stages of grief." Erin Krakow, who previously called Lori one of "the very best gifts When Calls the Heart has given me," has repeatedly posted about her "forever friend" on social media.

Nearly two years have passed since Lori's departure from the show. During that time, she completed a two-month prison sentence, leading many Hearties to wonder if this means her return to Hope Valley is in the cards. Even the show's creator entertained the possibility, saying that "Hope Valley should be an example of forgiveness and grace."

Some Hearties still have their doubts. In a recent TikTok, which was later posted on Twitter, one fan compiled photos and videos of Erin, Lori and Daniel Lissing (whose character was killed off the show in the season 5 finale) with a caption that read, "A trio we will probably never see again." With just six words, Erin made it clear that the trio is still very much intact: "False. We still ❤️ each other," she replied.

"It is so wonderful to see friends who stick together during the good times and the bad times," one fan wrote. "They will ALWAYS be friends no matter what. Keeping my fingers crossed for a reunion soon," another commented.

Most fans, however, saw Erin's response as proof that Lori or Daniel (or both) would be back on When Calls the Heart. "I would love to see both Daniel Lissing and Lori Loughlin back. Writers can do anything," one hopeful Heartie wrote.

Although there's still a chance that Lori may return, it seems highly unlikely that we'll ever see Daniel back on the show. When he announced his exit, Daniel claimed that he was leaving the show "for reasons that are very personal to me," but Lori and Erin later revealed that it was due to contract negotiations. "We are actors, and actors have contracts and sometimes those contracts expire and you have a choice to make," Lori explained to Entertainment Tonight. “You either renegotiate or you don’t, and Dan has chosen to move on, we respect that." Still, Hearties won't settle for a life without Jack: Throughout the seventh season, they plotted all the different ways that Jack could return, whether it's in flashback scenes or as a ghost haunting his former love.

Season 8 premieres on Hallmark Channel on Sunday, February 21, so cross your fingers for a reunion of some sort!

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