'Storage Wars' Drops 3 More Regulars as Next Season Pondered

"Storage Wars" has dropped three more regulars from its cast in the wake of former star Dave Hester's lawsuit against the A&E series and as the current season winds down.

"Storage Wars," a reality program that follows cast members as they bid against each other at public auctions of abandoned storage units throughout California, appears to be phasing out some of the higher paid cast members in favor of expanding the series to include some cheap, new faces, a source told Radar Online.

Among those who have been dropped from upcoming episodes are Darrell Sheets, known on the show as "The Gambler," and auctioneers Dan and Laura Dotson.

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"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. "He was not happy to say the least."

As for the Dotsons, the network reportedly told them they just weren’t needed for certain episodes of the show.

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

With new episodes beginning to air, A&E is looking ahead at contracts for next season, so now is the time some big decisions could be made, the source said.

"The show has a few months before the deadline to offer contracts for its next season. Sheets and Dan and Laura don't know what's going to happen to them. They could be replaced with cheaper talent."

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Hester, who was one of the professional buyers on the show, still has a lawsuit pending. He's seeking more than $750,000 in damages for wrongful termination, breach of contract, breach of good faith and fair dealing, unfair business practices, and declaratory relief.

Hester contends that "Storage Wars" producers regularly planted valuable items in the lockers, or sometimes even staged entire units. When he complained about the unethical practice to producers, he says he was fired.

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