Lori Loughlin Returning to ‘When Calls the Heart’ — Why Did Abigail Stanton Leave?

Abigail Stanton is coming back to Hope Valley! Lori Loughlin is set to reprise her fan favorite role in When Calls the Heart Season 14 after a seven-year absence, People reports.

On December 2, Hallmark Channel announced that it had renewed the long-running period drama for Season 14 ahead of the show’s Season 13 premiere on January 4, 2026. The network decided to drop the massive news of Loughlin’s return on the same day.

“Since the series’ debut in 2014, the character of Abigail Stanton was a fan favorite and beloved by the Hearties,” Michelle Vicary, Hallmark Media’s head of programming, said in a statement. “At its core, the Hallmark brand is about hope, positivity, and connection, which is also the central theme of When Calls the Heart. We felt that season 14 was the right time to continue Abigail’s story with her return to this beloved series.”

Loughlin was one of the original cast members on When Calls the Heart when it premiered in 2014. Abigail and Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) became fast friends when Elizabeth moved to town. Her final episode date was March 10, 2019, during the show’s sixth season.

When Calls the Heart went off the air for nearly two months after that. When the series returned in May, Elizabeth addressed Abigail’s absence. “We never know how life will turn. It’s been a week since Abigail got word that her mother had taken ill back East. True to her nature, Abigail wasted no time in rushing off to care for her,” Elizabeth said in her voiceover.

“Abigail is much more than a friend; she’s family. I will miss her and Cody deeply — we all will, but we must get by as best we can. In her absence, we must soldier on, and we will. We are a community, we are strong, we are Hope Valley,” Elizabeth continued.

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The Full House star was written off of When Calls the Heart following her involvement in the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. Loughlin and her then-husband, Mossimo Giannulli, paid Rick Singer $500,000 to get their daughters, Bella and Olivia, into the University of Southern California as crew recruits. Loughlin served two months in jail after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

Krakow recently championed Loughlin and hoped to see Abigail return to Hope Valley. “I love Lori Loughlin, and I love the character she created, Abigail Stanton,” she told Us Weekly. “I’m very much a fan of hers and a friend of hers, so I really hope that it’s happening.”

When Calls the Heart, Season 13, Season Premiere, January 4, 2026, Hallmark Channel