In The Simpsons episode “Alone Again, Natura Diddly” (February 13, 2000), the Simpsons discover a new outdoor auto racing track in their favorite nature preserve and stay there to race. I plan to watch one or two games. In fact, there are many familiar characters there, including Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer) and his wife Maud (Marcia Mitzman Gaven), who sit in the back row. In between races, cheerleaders go out on the track and use T-shirt guns to fire free clothing into the stands. Tragically, one of the errant T-shirts hit Maud in the chest and she was thrown over the railing at the back of the stadium. She fell to her death in the parking lot below.
The rest of the episode follows Ned’s grieving process as he mourns the death of his wife. Perhaps shockingly, Ned even finds his faith in God shaken by this tragedy. Usually Ned is super Christian.
Maud Flanders is one of the few characters actually permanently killed off by “The Simpsons.” Another was jazz musician “Bleeding Gums” Murphy, who only returned in flashbacks or occasionally as a ghost. Dr. Marvin Monroe also died, and his tombstone also appeared in “Alone Again, Natura Diddley,” but the character mysteriously returned years later. “I’m very unwell,” was all he could say.
But Maud was an important enough character to change the case for one of “The Simpsons'” most notable characters. Ned Flanders was previously happily married with a family, but now he had to deal with being a widow. The cheerful character was infused with elements of tragedy.
However, it turns out that the writers killed off Maud Flanders for reasons that went beyond just a storytelling opportunity or changing Ned’s character. It appears that actress Maggie Roswell, who played Maud, has asked for a raise. Roswell couldn’t understand that, so he quit. In response, the writers of “The Simpsons” simply insulted the characters. Wage dispute was reported by CBR.