Redd Foxx was the heart of Sanford and Son. So when he walked off set in the middle of Season 3—without warning—the show went into free fall.
Foxx had discovered that co-star Demond Wilson had quietly renegotiated his contract. Foxx, who’d been fighting for fairer pay, felt betrayed—not by Wilson, but by NBC.
“He built that show,” a writer said. “But they treated him like anyone could play Fred Sanford.”
Foxx left without a word. Wilson carried the next few episodes alone. The scripts were awkward, the laughs fewer. Ratings dropped.
Only after weeks of negotiation—and a personal call from an NBC executive—did Foxx return. His contract was rewritten. He was promised creative input. And the handshake that sealed it happened behind closed doors, just before taping resumed.
What aired next wasn’t just a comeback. It was a statement. Fred Sanford was back—and nobody would ever question who ran the junkyard again.
