Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Janice Rand
4. She Was Invited Back To Be A Part Of Star Trek: Phase II
Once The Original Series ended, Whitney was left without work for some time. In fact, in 1976, she bumped into DeForrest Kelley at an unemployment officer, who proceeded to inform her about a convention that was coming up. She got in touch with Bjo and John Trimble, who were organising it, and she appeared. There was such a positive response to her return, and she discovered that fans were consistently asking what had happened to Janice Rand, that she got in touch with Susan Sackett, Gene Roddenberry's assistant.
As soon as communication was opened again, Roddenberry immediately invited her to be a part of the then-in-development Star Trek: Phase II. He also apologised to her for what had happened, blaming NBC execs for the decision to let her go. This was enough for Whitney to agree to return.
In her autobiography, she discussed her relationship with Gene, which had of course begun years before. Though she claimed, he did make several attempts to start something romantic with her, she always turned him down, and he never attempted to force the situation. This seems like a quiet confirmation that he was not the executive who had assaulted her, nor had he been instrumental in her firing.