The Real Reason The Simpsons Killed Off Maude Flanders

In the "The Simpsons" episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly" (February 13, 2000), the Simpsons discover a new outdoor auto racing track inside their favorite nature preserve and decide to stay and watch a race or two. Indeed, many recognizable characters are there, including Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer) and his wife Maude (Marcia Mitzman Gaven), who sit in the back row. In between races, cheerleaders take to the track and use a t-shirt cannon to fire free clothing into the stands. Tragically, one of the errant t-shirts strikes Maude in the chest, throwing her over the back railing of the stadium. She plunges to her death, landing in the parking lot below. 

The rest of the episode follows Ned's grieving process as he mourns the loss of his wife. Ned, perhaps shockingly, even finds his faith in God shaken over the tragedy; ordinarily, Ned is ultra-Christian. 

Maude Flanders is one of the few characters that "The Simpsons" actually, permanently killed off. The other was the jazz musician "Bleeding Gums" Murphy, who has only returned in flashbacks, or, occasionally, as a ghost. Dr. Marvin Monroe also died, and his gravestone was even seen in "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly," but the character mysteriously returned years later. "I've been very sick," was all he had to offer. 

Maude, however, was an important enough character to change the thrust of the one of "The Simpsons" more notable characters. Ned Flanders, previously happily married with a family, now had to cope with being a widower. The happy-go-lucky character was now infused with an element of tragedy. 

It turns out, though, that the writers killed Maude Flanders for reasons beyond mere storytelling opportunities or Ned's character alteration. It seems that the actress who played Maude, Maggie Roswell, asked for a raise. When she didn't get it, Roswell quit. In response, the "Simpsons" writers simply offed the character. The pay dispute was reported by CBR. 

In Nancy Cartwright's autobiography "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy," Cartwright — who plays Bart Simpson, and several others, on "The Simpsons" — recalled the pay dispute several "Simpsons" actors had in 1999 and 2000, during the show's 11th season. It seems that the show's core six actors (Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Julie Kavner, Shearer, and Hank Azaria) were all able to negotiate higher paychecks, but it seems that Maggie Roswell and others were not. 

Roswell, a denizen of Denver, Colorado, had to fly into Los Angeles twice weekly to record her dialogue for many "Simpsons" shows. In addition to playing Maude Flanders, Roswell also voiced Miss Hoover, Helen Lovejoy, and Luann Van Houten. Her profile was written up in an archived article in the Denver Post, dated January 27, 2000. It seems that the price of plane tickets was going up, and it was getting increasingly expensive for Roswell to fly into the L.A. recording studio. Roswell asked that her pay be tripled from $2,000 an episode to $6,000. In response, Fox offered a raise ... of $2,150 an episode. Insulted by the lowball, Roswell up and quit. To the Denver Post, she said: 

"[T]hey offered me a $150 raise. I mean, that's lint in Fox's pocket. But Fox wanted to prove a point, I guess. I was flying myself back and forth from Denver to L.A. It was exhausting. I loved doing the show and they thought that I would come back. But now I'm busy doing other things. [...] I was part of the backbone of 'The Simpsons' and I don't think the money I asked for was exorbitant. I wasn't asking for what other cast members make. I was just trying to recoup all the costs I had in travel. If they'd flown me in, I'd still be working." 

It seems that, yes, Fox was being stingy.

Roswell was more or less in every fifth episode of "The Simpsons," going back to its earliest days. She was indeed one of the core players of the show, and her departure was a blow deeply felt. The "Simpsons" writers may have killed off Maude Flanders, but each one of Roswell's other roles had to be filled. Marcia Mitzman Gaven stepped in for Maude in "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly," and also stepped in to play Helen Lovejoy and Miss Hoover during Roswell's absence. Luann Van Houten pretty much stopped speaking, however. 

Roswell, however, had a prolific TV and animation career prior to "The Simpsons," having appeared in shows like "Happy Days," "The Partridge Family," "Mork & Mindy," "Dynasty," "Hunter," and many others. She voiced characters in "Popeye," "Mighty Mouse," "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo," "Darkwing Duck," "Tiny Toon Adventures," and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." She was a powerhouse actor, and I think Fox eventually took note of that. 

If Roswell was given a larger raise, it's not a matter of record, but she did eventually re-join "The Simpsons" in 2002 after she was told she could record her dialogue at home, and mail the audio to the show's sound mixers. In 2025, this seems like a logical workaround, but know that such technology was more limited in 2002. Roswell agreed to the arrangement, and stayed in Denver, not having to worry about the price of plane tickets anymore. As of this writing, Roswell has appeared in 280 episodes of "The Simpsons," and continues to play the same characters. 

Maude Flanders, however, has remained dead.