Top 20 Shocking Power Rangers Scandals
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the biggest Power Rangers controversies, including cast walkouts, criminal records, and even community drama. Did we miss any morphenomenally huge scandals? Let us know in the comments.
#20: Austin St. John vs. Jason David Frank
While they had their ups and downs, it was clear that Jason and Tommy were two peas in a pod on the show. However, the actors weren’t so chummy at all. They actually had a very unsteady relationship, much of it stemming from their polarizing attitudes on set and the infamous walk-out in Season Two. Originally, the main actors had planned to band together if not offered what they considered fair payment, but Frank reportedly convinced two of the others not to quit. St, John reportedly felt betrayed after this, and while they subsequently tried to remain professional, the animosity remained. Despite their rocky relationship, St, John still offered his heartfelt condolences for Frank’s tragic passing in 2022.
#19: Unintentional Prejudice
This is arguably one of the oldest controversies in the fandom. Walter Jones and Thuy Trang did Morphenomenal work as Zack and Trini. Still, many pointed out how stereotypical it seemed to cast an African American actor as the Black Ranger, or an Asian actor as the Yellow Ranger, especially on a show that prides itself in diversity. Many accused the staff of being insensitive, but Walter confirmed that the casting choices were unintentional in that way. Walter actually asked to be the Black Ranger to make him more recognizable. It’s comforting to know that there weren’t any ill intentions behind these casting choices.
#18: Patricia Ja Lee's Absence From Conventions
Interactions with fans can sometimes be very tricky for actors to navigate, and some problematic ones can end up ruining the experience for the celebrity. For example, for Patricia Ja Lee, aka Cassie from “In Space” and “Turbo,” the last convention she attended was way back in 2009. According to reports, she stopped going to any event because she’d had to endure harassment from some fans, and didn’t feel it was worth it. It’s awful knowing that there are fans who can’t respect people’s boundaries, especially with those they claim to admire. Actors are people too, after all. But Patricia Ja lee is also a badass in real life, becoming a firefighter in California after retiring from acting.
#17: Dan Ewing’s Legal Issues
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Power Rangers fans recognize actor Dan Ewing as Dillon, aka Ranger Black from “Power Rangers RPM.” He plays an amnesiac with robotic implants who learns to overcome his struggles in order to re-discover himself and save the world. But heroes on the screen don’t always translate to everyday life. And in 2018, Ewing’s life was anything but heroic, as he found himself in trouble with the law. He got into a domestic dispute with his ex-wife regarding their kids. He ended up getting two court orders to stay away from his ex-partner.
#16: Rene Naufahu's House Arrest
For those who aren’t familiar with Rene Naufahu, the New Zealand actor’s biggest contributions to the Power Rangers franchise were playing Emperor Gruum, one of the franchise’s best villains, and Mentor Ji, one of the franchise’s worst mentors. Unfortunately, it became incredibly difficult to merely watch and appreciate his acting contributions following the revelation of Naufahu’s crimes in 2017. He was charged with multiple counts of crimes against women, whom he was ostensibly teaching acting. He eventually pled guilty and ended up facing a year under house arrest.
#15: Skylar Deleon’s Crimes
Child actors have a long history of difficult lives as adults, but that’s an understatement here. In 2009, a married couple in Arizona were murdered by Skylar Preciosa Deleon, the stage name of actor John Julius Jacobson Jr. It turns out that, as a child, Deleon performed as an extra on “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”. Many fans actually thought that Deleon played Roger in the episode “Second Chance,” but a casting call sheet showed Roger being played by a different child actor. But the mix-up gave the episode a poor reputation. Unfortunately, “Power Rangers” is no stranger to having some of its cast members go rogue, but this was the most horrific.
#14: Michael Taber’s Social Media Venting
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It may seem like a dream come true to work on “Power Rangers'', but clearly, for some, it was more like a nightmare behind the scenes. For instance, in the wake of the Austin St. John debacle — don’t worry, we’ll get to that shortly — one former cast member was VERY vocal about his take on the experience. Michael Taber, who played Riley the Green Dino Charge Ranger, went on an angry tirade on X (formerly known as Twitter), calling out the show for how unfairly it paid its cast members, and how some performers have had no choice but to turn to less savoury ways to make a living. Yeah, that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.
#13: Morphin’ Rangers Are Banned in Malaysia
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As early as the series’ very first season, these multicolored superheroes were facing monsters, Rita, and bans. At one time in Malaysia, the show wasn’t allowed to be shown. But this wasn’t due to the teenagers fighting or complaints about all the weapons they used. The ban actually came down to the series’ name itself. While the show’s title use of “morphin’” as slang for “morphing” was harmless, Malaysian officials were concerned it sounded like the narcotic, “morphine. It was only allowed to broadcast in the country after “Morphin’” was completely dropped from the title.
#12: Dangerous Working Conditions
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It turns out that beating monsters, foiling evil plans, and saving the Earth is risky work both on and off-camera. The tight production schedule, shoestring budget, and non-union cast led to a lot of cut-corners in the early seasons. The original cast has been very outspoken about their experiences and mishaps. According to various reports, stunt-work was rushed and unrehearsed. Actors were often worked to exhaustion. And in one instance, a faulty prop caught on fire while actors Amy Jo Johnson and David Yost were in a body swap machine. Thankfully, they were unharmed at the end of the day. But it was still shocking to learn that a “Freaky Friday” machine could’ve caused real damage.
#11: Rangers Are Forced to Put their Blade Blasters Away
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While overseas pushback was certainly a headache, the series’ stateside squabbles required more than just a quick name change. In the opening seasons, the Rangers used a rotating gauntlet of brightly colored weapons to battle evil. But their battle gear looked a little too real for parents. Parents aimed specific scrutiny at the laser-like Blade Blasters. Although they didn’t fire bullets, adults didn’t want kids idealizing any form of gun. Under mounting pressure, the show made it so the rangers hardly ever used the Blade Blasters during fights. It also helped that the team got ninja powers to sneak right past having to rely on the controversial weapon.
#10: Cast Members Walk Out During a Crossover
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When members of the “Lost Galaxy” cast appeared for two crossover episodes after their run ended, they had to participate in battles and fight for screen time. During production, Saban realized the returning Rangers weren’t in the episodes very much. This caused the company to reevaluate the team’s already agreed-upon salaries. The pay dispute caused Amy Miller, who played big bad Trakeena, to walk off set. As a result, the episodes had to throw together a silly reason for the character to now wear a mask. Although “Lost Galaxy” Red Ranger Danny Slavin reportedly walked too, he’d completed enough scenes that his absence was barely noticeable. The “morphenomenal” mess behind-the-scenes of these episodes makes it a wonder this crossover happened at all.
#9: Monica May’s Burlesque Career
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Following the conclusion of “S.P.D” in 2005, the actress behind street-smart Yellow Ranger Z found success in front of the camera and onstage as a burlesque dancer. But some people couldn’t see her as anything but a Power Ranger. A vocal minority of fans have ridiculously criticized May for “ruining their childhood” just because she does risqué performances. In 2020, she even took to Twitter to directly clap back at people who were trying to judge her choices. Since May has still been seen and invited to official Ranger fan events, it’s clear that many people don’t see anything wrong with May’s burlesque. So while some viewers might want to call “S.P.D” to step in, there’s no emergency here.
#8: Alleged Relief Embezzling
Almost thirty years after he was catapulted to stardom, original “Mighty Morphin’” Ranger Austin St. John found himself in the limelight again. But it wasn’t because he was rocking a red suit. St. John was arrested alongside seventeen other individuals for conspiracy to commit fraud. According to reports, he and the other people charged allegedly took advantage of special loans for COVID relief to make money. St. John’s representatives claim that the actor was manipulated into taking part in the scheme. Before this news broke, he’d been making steady appearances at Ranger conventions and returned to the franchise on a few special occasions. But after this controversy, St John might not be welcomed back to ranger events again.
#7: Ricardo Medina Jr. Is Convicted of a Fatal Crime
Ricardo Medina Jr.’s onscreen charm and prowess for stunt work made him a standout as the “Wild Force” Red Ranger. He was so good that he was later invited back to play the conflicted character Deker in the “Samurai” season. However, Medina Jr’s. noteworthy status as one of the few actors to play multiple roles in the franchise was tarnished when one serious event. In 2015, he was sentenced to six years in prison for voluntary manslaughter. Medina Jr. pled guilty to fatally wounding his roommate during a heated confrontation. Since the weapon he used was a sword hanging on the wall, rewatching his “Samurai” scenes can be uncomfortable.
#6: Samuell Benta & the Stolen Banner
The very first Power Morphicon dates back to 2007, but unfortunately, not all the guests made a good first impression. Samuell Benta, aka Will from “Operation Overdrive,” became the subject of controversy when he was accused of stealing an autographed charity banner. This got him banned for over a decade. Benta remained silent about the incident until 2020, when he released a video statement saying how he only planned to sign the banner, but then someone else stole it. Unfortunately, the video has disappeared from YouTube, the banner remains missing to this day, and without concrete proof, we may never know what really happened that day.
#5: Andrew Laing Quits
When “Dino Fury” decided to bring Lord Zedd back from the dead, they had him voiced by Andrew Laing, who fans knew as the voice of Venjix/Evox from “RPM” and “Beast Morphers”. Unfortunately, fans were not pleased with the choice of Laing’s voice for Zedd, and he faced harassment for his attempts. Eventually, Andrew walked away from voicing Zedd, and so Fred Tatasciore was cast for “Cosmic Fury”. We admit that Laing’s Zedd voice hardly held a candle to the late Robert Axelrod’s performance, but harassing anyone is never justified. Unfortunately, it’s another case of “you can’t please everyone” taken way too far.
#4: Pua Magasiva's Death
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Years after actor Pua Magasiva played red ranger Shane in “Ninja Storm”, he was convicted of domestic violence. This shocking report was followed by the tragic news that he took his own life. In the aftermath of Magasiva’s passing, a diary he allegedly wrote highlighted that he struggled with self-loathing, dependency on alcohol and feelings of inferiority. His issues with self confidence are eerily similar to problems his character faced in “Power Rangers.” It’s understandable why fans may be reluctant to revisit episodes that explore Shane’s psychology today. Even though the red’s ranger’ struggles were fictional, seeing Magasiva portray him feels real and very heavy.
#3: Jason David Frank’s Sense of Betrayal
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Before his tragic passing, Jason David Frank was undeniably one of the most loyal cast members of the franchise. Unfortunately, it’s widely believed that the brand wasn’t quite as loyal to one of their most iconic players. Beyond all the many issues with the production over the years, reportedly JDF believed that shows like the anniversary special, “Once & Always'' were planned to undercut his own planned film offering, “Legend of the White Dragon.” JDF’s film is slated for a 2024 release, but it’s tragic that he’ll never get to see his passion project come to fruition.
#2: David Yost Faces Prejudice On Set
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While the heroes stood for equality and fairness, Blue Ranger David Yost found that this sunny superhero series was a toxic and unaccepting workplace for him. Years after his departure from the franchise, he came clean about one of the major reasons he left the popular show. Yost reported that he faced relentless ridicule for his sexuality. After being demorphed from a Ranger to a mentor, he stuck it out for a while before abandoning the role in “Zeo” without filming a goodbye. The production used archival footage and a hasty bit of exposition to explain his absence. While his exit was shrouded in darkness, Yost is thankfully now appreciated for the hardship he endured for the sake of the franchise.
#1: The Original Cast Departure
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The original series was an instant success upon release. Unfortunately, all wasn’t well behind the scenes. In the midst of criminally low pay, harsh working conditions, and no end in sight, three of the original Rangers tried to push for better conditions. Red ranger Austin St. John, yellow ranger Thuy Trang, and black ranger Walter Emanuel Jones teamed up to get more from the show. But talks failed and the three abruptly left the series in the middle of the second season. The show used a variety of techniques to obscure their absence until new Rangers could be cast. While the transition may have gone over our heads when we were younger, it’s difficult to unsee how messed up the trio’s exit was as adults.
