‘Storage Wars’ Drops Three More Cast Members [Report]

The cast of Storage Wars is getting a little bit smaller.

In the wake of a lawsuit filed by Dave Hester, one of the main buyers for the series’ first three seasons, three more cast members have been cut out of the show. Darrell Sheets and Dan and Laura Dotson were recently cut from several episodes of the A&E reality series.

“They lived up to Darrell’s contract, but then shot more episodes that weren’t covered by his contract and kept him out of those,” a source familiar with the situation told Radar Online. “He was not happy to say the least.”

The source added, “It seems as if they are going after some of the higher paid cast members. And meanwhile they are expanding the franchise.”

Meanwhile, the Dotsons are fighting to remain on the series.

“They make good money and they need the money. Suddenly the show just told them, ‘We don’t need you for this episode.’ And then it happened again,” a second source added. “So they’ve been battling to stay on the air, and they are worried about their futures. The show is a gold mine.”

Hester filed a lawsuit against A&E and Original Productions in December 2012 — after he was fired from the show — claiming that the producers staged the entire show, funneling cash to weaker teams so that they could buy lockers they wouldn’t be able to afford on their own, and planting items in the lockers that had been appraised weeks in advance. Hester also sued for wrongful termination.

A&E responded to the lawsuit by saying that the composition of the series is covered by the First Amendment, and in March 2013, the network won a partial victory when a judge threw out Hester’s claim of unfair business practice. The judge called the series “expressive free speech” and said that Hester’s wrongful termination claim wasn’t specific enough.

What do you think of Storage Wars possibly dropping three more cast members? Will you continue watching?