'Sons of Guns' Show Cancelled By Discovery Channel After Will Hayden's Arrest In Rape Case

The Discovery Channel has decided to cancel its reality TV show "Sons of Guns" one day after the star of the show, Will Hayden, was arrested and charged with raping his 12-year-old daughter. Red Jacket Firearms in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which was founded by Hayden, announced on Facebook that he is no longer affiliated with the company.

Laurie Goldberg, a spokesperson for the Discovery Channel, said in a statement Wednesday: "Given the serious and horrific nature of the charges against Will Hayden, we have decided to halt further production of Sons of Guns and cancel the series," The Times-Picayune reported. Hayden, who was arrested Tuesday at Livingston Parish, near the Louisiana capital, by U.S. marshals at about 3 p.m., has been charged with aggravated rape.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Hayden’s daughter told officers at the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office that her father raped her almost every day since March 2013 when she was 11, adding that she did not report the rapes earlier because she feared Hayden would physically harm her.

“Sons of Guns,” a popular prime-time reality show, premiered Jan. 26, 2011, and finished airing its fifth season on May 16. At the time of Hayden's arrest, the reality show, which had gained more than a million viewers with each episode, was preparing for its sixth season.

"Today, Red Jacket Firearms has received complete legal separation as an entity, from Will Hayden," a post on the company's Facebook page on Wednesday said, adding: "We will continue to operate, although with heavy hearts and promise to do everything in our power to fill customer orders, back orders and provide support to those affected by these new developments."