Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

Well, I am working on getting some screen captures done of the Dr. Quinn episodes that Erika starred in but it is taking longer than I thought since my computer is not being very helpful! In the meantime here is the most asked question about Erika and why she was gone from Dr. Quinn in season three:

Why Erika had to leave Dr. Quinn:
Since Erika was a minor, her father controlled her contracts and finances. When the time came for contract renewals, he didn't agree with the salary she would be paid, so he gave her an ultimatum: refuse and hope for more money, or accept and forfeit all of his support. Since Erika didn't have any other options, she had to refuse. As a result, she was forced to leave the show, and Jessica Bowman became "Colleen Cooper."

Here is the official press release from producers of the show:
(February 7, 1996)
Dear Viewers:
Over the past several months we have received numerous letters regarding the re-casting of "Colleen" on our show. When this change occurred, we released a statement to the affect of, "Unwilling to commit to 5 years, Erika Flores is leaving the series to pursue other interests." Well, its now over one year and, the fact remains that Erika Flores left the show to pursue other interests. Now, what are those other interests? I can tell you its primarily school. She's auditioned for movies, but her primary focus, to our knowledge, is school. After all, she's only 16 years old. The events leading up to her decision to leave the show did include CBS's request that she sign a 5 year contract. Erika did not want to commit to that extended period of time, and CBS would not allow it (all the series regulars, including Jane Seymour, are required to sign a 5 year contract.) We, as producers of the show, were able to convince CBS to double Erika's salary in an attempt to keep her on the show. But she still was unwilling to commit to 5 years. This being the case, we had no other choice but to replace her. I hope that this will help clarify your questions about Erika Flores. She remains a very close friend of the show, often visiting the set for lunch, and we wish her all the best in her future pursuits.

Tim Johnson
(Producer, "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman") © 1996 CBS