Former tennis player Andy Roddick admits he was unaware that “The Office” writers called him the father of Jan’s baby in the show’s original script.
Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey said in an episode of their “Office Ladies” podcast in 2021 that Melora Hardin’s character, Jan, used Roddick as a sperm donor.
“No, I didn’t know about that,” the tennis pro told Vidak For Congress when asked if he was aware of the storyline, which was cut from the last episode in 2008.
“I knew Jenna and her husband Lee [Kirk] back in the day, and they knew I was a big fan of the show,” he continued.
“As for that storyline, I woke up in the morning and had a bunch of text messages on my phone.”
Roddick, who is married to supermodel Brooklyn Decker, said he was initially surprised at the news that he was almost mentioned by name in the episode.
“It’s confusing to [hear] someone who describes that storyline while also assuming you know about it,” he added.
In the episode, titled ‘Goodbye, Toby’, it is revealed that Jan became pregnant while dating Steve Carell’s character, Michael Scott, but he was not the father.
Fans have been wondering who the sperm donor was for over a decade, and the podcast hosts said the answer was scripted, but was ultimately left out.
“In the script, Jan reveals whose sperm she bought,” Kinsey explains.
“Jan says: ‘You have to pay top dollar, but it’s worth it. Now, here’s the best part. I have Andy Roddick’s sperm.” And Jan looks at Michael as if she expects him to be very impressed. And Michael says, ‘The tennis player?’”
She replied, ‘Well, it’s more than that. He is the sixth player in the world and he has won four grand slams,” to which Michael responds: “That’s a lot of grand slams, I think.”
Jan agreed again: “And he is a humanitarian – something with orphans.”
Fischer speculated that the tennis player, who is partnering with IHG Hotels & Resorts for the upcoming US Open, may have been chosen because the writers knew he was a fan of the sitcom.
“Andy Roddick was friends with Rainn Wilson…he was a big fan of ‘The Office’ and he came to the set,” she said.
“I have to imagine that the reason they wrote it as Andy Roddick’s Sperm was a little nod to Andy, who has a great sense of humor. Lee and I met Andy and Brooklyn [Decker] because of our love for tennis. We were going to watch Andy play tennis and sit down with Brooklyn, and oh my gosh I’m so sad for him that this didn’t stay in the episode.
Kinsey said she was also friends with the ‘Just Go With It’ actress, who shares two children with Roddick, and texted her about the script.
After Decker got wind of the news, she took to Instagram and wrote, “John, honey, we need to talk.”
Decker and Roddick married in 2009 and are parents to Hank (6) and Stevie (4).