80's sitcoms were a cheerful, frivolous way to spend an hour on a weeknight. Characters' problems were neatly solved, and traumatic events rarely transpired...at least onscreen. On the other side of the camera, 80's sitcom stars were often messy and troubled, especially as their fame faded and their money and job opportunities dried up. Drug abuse, sexual assault, robbery, suicide — the sad stories of former 1980's sitcom stars has all of this and more. Whether you remember these actors for these roles, or are catching up on these twisted tales for the first time, these are 80's sitcom stars accused of serious crimes.
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00:00When a TV star is accused of something awful, it's easy to wonder how someone with so much
00:06to lose could land themselves into so much trouble. Here are a few examples of TV stars
00:11from 80s sitcoms who've been accused of serious crimes.
00:15Bill Cosby has been on television since the 1960s, his first major role being Alexander
00:20Scott in the series I Spy. By the time the 70s rolled around, he was seen regularly on
00:26the animated show Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. But despite how popular Cosby was in
00:31those two decades, he reached another level of fame in the 80s with The Cosby Show.
00:37During the series, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1992, the comedian played Dr. Heathcliff
00:43Huxtable, an OB-GYN, a wise father, and an all-around good guy. But that image would
00:49be decimated after a number of women said that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted
00:55As multiple news outlets reported, the number of accusers quickly grew to 60. At first,
01:00it didn't seem that Cosby would be charged for the alleged acts due to statute of limitation
01:05laws. However, that changed after a Temple University worker named Andrea Constant testified
01:10that he drugged and sexually assaulted her in his Philadelphia home in 2004. According
01:16to CNN, Cosby was then charged with three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault
01:21and was sentenced to three to 10 years of prison in 2018. But in June of 2021, the Pennsylvania
01:28State Supreme Court overturned Cosby's ruling. This was partially because a prosecutor made
01:33a deal with Cosby years ago and said he wouldn't prosecute him if he agreed to give a deposition
01:38in Constant's civil case. According to the Associated Press, Cosby was released from
01:43Pennsylvania's CSI Phoenix on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, after serving three years of his
01:50sentence.
01:51When the NBC sitcom Different Strokes aired between 1978 and 1986, Todd Bridges, who played
01:57Willis Jackson, probably sat in a lot of comfy trailers between scenes. But by 1989, he'd
02:04be sitting in the back of a cop car in North Hollywood, California, after being accused
02:08of attempted murder. According to the Associated Press, a 23-year-old Bridges and another man
02:14named Harvey Duckett had an altercation with Kenneth Tex Clay, a convicted drug dealer,
02:20who believed the two men were breaking into a vacant house that was connected to drug
02:24activity. The Associated Press noted the actor was arrested at the same house in January
02:29of that year on cocaine-related charges, and on the day Bridges and Duckett were approached
02:34by Clay, Bridges was accused of shooting him five times while Duckett stabbed him.
02:39But in November of 1989, while being represented by famed attorney Johnny Cochran, the 80s
02:45was found not guilty of attempted murder, as well as attempted voluntary manslaughter,
02:50according to UPI. And as news outlets reported, the following year, Bridges was acquitted
02:55again after he was retried on the sole count of assault with a deadly weapon.
03:00Things eventually took a positive turn for Bridges. As he told Page Six in 2021, he has
03:05been sober since 1993.
03:09Neither Dustin Diamond or his character Samuel Screech Powers on NBC's Saved by the Bell
03:14were associated with violence, so some might have been shocked when the Associated Press
03:19reported the actor was arrested for stabbing a man in 2015 on Christmas Day. Per the report,
03:26Diamond and his girlfriend Amanda Schutz got into a physical altercation with a group at
03:30a restaurant in Port Washington, Wisconsin. According to the Associated Press, Schutz
03:34became upset when people began taking photos of her and Diamond. But according to the actor's
03:39version of things, the group was extremely rowdy, and he eventually saw Schutz being
03:44held by two men while she was bleeding.
03:47That's when Diamond acted and claimed he stabbed the victim with the pen he was using to sign
03:51his check. Later, however, the California native admitted to carrying a knife, but said
03:56he didn't stab anyone intentionally. He was just swinging his arms around, trying to free
04:01himself after being grabbed. Eventually, Diamond was charged with recklessly endangering public
04:06safety, faced a 10-year prison sentence, and pleaded not guilty.
04:11In the end, he was found guilty of the disorderly conduct with a dangerous weapon charge, as
04:15well as carrying a concealed weapon. According to CNN, he was sentenced to 120 days in jail,
04:2115 months of probation, and had to pay $1,000 in restitution. Sadly, Diamond died in February
04:28of 2021 after being diagnosed with stage 4 small cell carcinoma just one month prior.
04:34He was 44 years old.
04:37You might remember Brian Bonsall as the little kid who played Andy Keaton, the youngest sibling
04:41on Family Ties. After the show, he had several run-ins with the law. According to the Associated
04:47Press, in 2007 he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in Boulder, Colorado, where
04:52he resided. He was charged with second-degree assault and false imprisonment soon after,
04:57but claimed self-defense. Based on his version of events, Bonsall said that his girlfriend
05:02stabbed him in the arm, which she denied. According to Deseret News, he pleaded guilty
05:07to third-degree assault and got probation.
05:10In 2009, Bonsall landed in hot water with cops again when they responded to a report
05:15of two people fighting in a Boulder, Colorado, apartment building. According to Daily Camera,
05:21his friend Michael Trujillo said the actor, quote, "...picked up a stool, broke it over
05:25a stair railing, and hit him five to six times in the face."
05:30He faced charges of third-degree assault and was dinged for failing to make a court
05:33appearance regarding the 2007 arrest. According to the Associated Press, he also got in trouble
05:39with authorities in 2010 for smoking marijuana, a violation of his probation. The Daily News
05:45reported he pleaded guilty and received probation for the 2009 incident.
05:50Speaking with StarTrek.com in 2016, Bonsall said,
05:54I'm not proud of my past mistakes, but you live and you learn, I guess. Hopefully. I've
05:58learned a lot about myself, that's for sure.
06:02On July 30th, 1998, former Diff'rent Strokes star Gary Coleman was arrested for assault
06:07and battery for punching a fan in the face who wanted an autograph, and many seemed really
06:12taken aback. And that level of shock probably deepened when people learned that Coleman,
06:17who was one of TV's biggest stars in the 80s, was working as a mall security guard.
06:23As Court TV detailed, Coleman was shopping at a uniform store to purchase a bulletproof
06:27vest for his security guard job when Tracy Fields, a Los Angeles bus driver, asked for
06:33the autograph. Coleman only signed his name, and Fields got upset because he didn't write
06:38a kind message to her as well. According to the actor's court testimony, the woman was,
06:43quote, "...really rude to him. He said, she wouldn't leave me alone. I was getting scared
06:48and she was getting ugly."
06:49However, before the trial ended, Coleman, who was facing one year behind bars, pleaded
06:55no contest to disturbing the peace and avoided jail time. He was also placed on one year
07:00of probation, had to pay a $400 fine, and was ordered to take anger management classes.
07:06Tragically, in May of 2010, the former TV star died after falling accidentally at his
07:12house in Utah. He was 42 years old.
07:16In 2019, former Silver Spoon star Rick Schroeder was accused of hitting his girlfriend twice,
07:22resulting in two arrests. According to CNN, the first incident took place on April 2nd
07:27in the actor's home in Topanga, California. But the details are fuzzy. The Associated
07:32Press reported Schroeder's girlfriend said the incident was, quote, "...a big misunderstanding
07:37after police arrived." And because there was no proof of the alleged assault, there were
07:41no charges filed.
07:43According to the Associated Press, on May 1st, 2019, Schroeder was taken into police
07:48custody after his girlfriend phoned 911 and said that he punched her. But later that month,
07:54prosecutors said they wouldn't be pressing charges. Per the Associated Press, not only
07:58did, quote, "...prosecutors say she was uncooperative during the investigation," but she claimed
08:03that Schroeder hit her by accident because she startled him as he was sleeping. The woman
08:08also said that he used alcohol and Ambien before bed. According to legal documents obtained
08:13by NBC Los Angeles, and the former NYPD Blue star spent around six hours in the pokey before
08:19being released on $50,000 bond. He denied the accusations.
08:25Mackenzie Phillips, who starred in One Day at a Time as Julie Romano, had a long-time
08:30battle with substance abuse, which eventually got her fired from the show.
08:34Mother dear, I want you to know I'm very sorry for my whole attitude.
08:39There was a period, however, when it seemed Phillips got her addiction under control.
08:44Despite this, though, a 2008 arrest would prove otherwise. At the time, Reuters reported
08:49that the actor was arrested and taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport.
08:55Authorities told the outlet, following a secondary screening, she was found to be in possession
08:59of what appeared to be cocaine and heroin.
09:02Talking to People about the arrest in 2016, Phillips said the incident was a turning point.
09:07She explained,
09:08"...sometimes the universe has a plan to stop you in your tracks to save your life.
09:14That was that day for me."
09:15In 2016, Breathe Life Healing Centers announced Phillips joined their team as an addiction
09:21counselor.
09:23One could say the troubles that surrounded Dana Plato after being on television led to
09:27a deeper look into child stars and how they've been affected by fame, money, and overall
09:33stardom.
09:34Not unlike her Diff'rent Strokes colleagues Todd Bridges and Gary Coleman, she went through
09:39some difficult times after the series. As NBC3 News recounted, Plato was arrested for
09:44robbing $160 from a Las Vegas video store with a pellet gun in 1991.
09:50"...I had the door open, she came in, stopped at the counter, and she pulled out a gun."
09:55Not only was she caught after returning to the scene of the crime while police were still
10:00But the clerk recognized her during the robbery. Her bail was set at $13,000, and Sin City
10:06staple Wayne Newton ponied up the cash to help her out. She was hit with probation,
10:11and according to the Associated Press, she, quote, "...was given another five years' probation
10:16for forging prescriptions for Valium in 1992."
10:19Sadly, the way it appeared, Plato continued to have personal struggles after the robbery,
10:25and she died on May 8th, 1999. Her death was later ruled a suicide by the deputy state
10:30medical examiner.
10:32Many were probably first introduced to Gary Dorden as the character Shotsa Zulu in NBC's
10:37A Diff'rent World, but that was far from his last role. In November 2011, he was in serious
10:43legal trouble after his ex-girlfriend, Nicole Cannizzaro, claimed he broke her nose in a
10:48violent attack. As TMZ reported, Cannizzaro alleged Dorden began hitting her while she
10:54was shopping at Whole Foods with his son. She said she then went to the actor's apartment
10:58and was attacked for a second time. Dorden was charged with felony assault and battery.
11:03A judge also granted Cannizzaro a restraining order against Dorden, who denied the allegations
11:08once a trial date was set. He told E! News in 2012,
11:12"...I have been waiting a long time and I haven't had a voice. I did not do this."
11:18Based on Dorden's explanation, he discovered his child missing on the night of the incident
11:22and found him shopping with Cannizzaro at Whole Foods. According to E! News, he said
11:27that he, quote, "...put his son into a cab, and when Cannizzaro tried to get in as well,
11:32Dorden pushed her away."
11:33He then claimed that Cannizzaro went to his place and, quote, "...broke in through his
11:37garage and was throwing power tools around," right before going to a personal injury lawyer.
11:43In the end, TMZ reported Dorden took a plea deal and received five years' probation, while
11:48also having to take 52 weeks of domestic violence and drug counseling.
11:53Presumably, when most thought of Scott Baio, they probably only thought of Chachi, his
11:57character on Happy Days, or maybe Charles, his role on Charles in Charge. But after 2018
12:04rolled around, his reputation took a huge hit since his former Charles in Charge castmate
12:09Nicole Eggert alleged he sexually assaulted her when she was a child. She wrote in a now-deleted
12:15tweet,
12:16Ask Scott Baio what happened in his garage at his house when I was a minor.
12:20Baio defended himself on Facebook Live and said he had sex with Eggert, but not until
12:24after the show ended and she was 18 years old. He also brought up an interview Eggert
12:29had on Nick Ritchie Radio, where she alleged Baio molested her when she was underage.
12:35Eggert also shared her story on Megyn Kelly Today. Eggert told Kelly,
12:39"...The issue with him is that he was our boss. He also was telling me, you can't tell
12:43anybody. This is illegal. I will go to jail."
12:46Following Eggert's interview, Baio appeared on Good Morning America, where he denied the
12:51allegations. Then in February 2018, Alexander Polinsky, who also played in Charles in Charge,
12:58alleged he suffered abuse and, quote, "...mental torture from Baio," while claiming that he
13:02bragged to him about bedding, quote, "...young girls and co-stars of the show," according
13:07to The Hollywood Reporter.
13:09The charges against Baio were dismissed in June 2018, with the DA citing the statute
13:14of limitations, according to People.
13:17Actor T.K. Carter is largely known for being in a slew of TV shows and movies in the 70s
13:22and 80s, but some probably know him from playing teacher Mike Fulton on Punky Brewster. In
13:281991, however, his name became associated with what seemed to be a pretty bizarre crime
13:33for a famous, seemingly successful actor to commit. According to the Associated Press,
13:39Carter walked up to a woman in her driveway and demanded her luxury car. She alleged he
13:44punched her in the stomach before making off with her vehicle, and she reported the car
13:49as stolen. According to the Los Angeles Times, when cops eventually caught up with Carter,
13:54he was apparently, quote, "...standing against a car and babbling incoherently."
13:59Per the Associated Press, after the actor was arrested, he paid his bail, which was
14:03set at $10,000. For some reason, details about the case after his arrest are scarce. But
14:09either way, the crime didn't seem to slow down Carter's acting career much, as he played
14:14in well over 20 shows after that 1991 incident, including How to Get Away with Murder.
14:20Who would think that Janet Wood would spend a night in jail? Probably not many, but that's
14:25what happened on July 4th, 2009. Well, it wasn't Wood who got put in cuffs. It was the
14:30woman who played her on Three's Company. According to the Associated Press, Joyce DeWitt found
14:35herself in hot water, quote, "...after she drove past a barricade near a park in El Segundo.
14:41The officer who pulled her over put her through field sobriety tests, which she did not pass.
14:46From there, she was booked and charged with one count of driving under the influence and
14:50one count of driving with a blood-alcohol level over 0.08 percent," according to ET.
14:56She was released on bail the next morning after plunking down $5,000. According to NBC
15:01Los Angeles, the West Virginia native eventually pleaded no contest to misdemeanor DUI and
15:06received three years' probation. She was ordered to pay a $510 fine, along with added penalty
15:12costs. She also had to complete a nine-month alcohol program.
15:17It's safe to assume that DeWitt will hop in a cab these days if she's had too much
15:21to drink, possibly giving an Uber or Lyft driver a memorable shift.
15:26It was the 2019 college admissions cheating scandal that made all kinds of headlines,
15:31with former Full House actor Lori Loughlin earning a stay in a Dublin, California federal
15:36prison for her role in it. In March 2019, it was revealed that Loughlin and dozens of
15:41others, including Desperate Housewives alum Felicity Huffman, were involved in the college
15:46admissions scandal known as Operation Varsity Blues.
15:50Both Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli were hit with multiple charges, including
15:54one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. According
16:00to NBC News, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli reportedly paid half a million dollars to
16:06a man named Rick Singer and Key Worldwide Foundation to, quote, bolster their two daughters'
16:12chances of gaining admission to the University of Southern California.
16:16Then, after first pleading not guilty, the actor and her husband accepted a plea deal
16:21and admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.
16:25Loughlin turned herself in to begin her two-month prison sentence on October 29, 2020, and was
16:30released in December of that year. She also has been placed on two years of supervised
16:36has to pay a $150,000 fine and must do 100 hours of community service, according to CNN.
16:43Her husband, meanwhile, was sentenced to five months of prison and also received two years
16:48of supervised release.
16:50When former Growing Pain star Tracey Gold's mugshot surfaced after being booked for felony
16:55drunk driving in 2004, her eyes were wet with tears and she appeared unhappy. But she also
17:01probably felt relieved that her family survived what could have been a tragic accident. As
17:06Today reported at the time, Gold flipped her SUV on a California highway. Her husband and
17:12their three children were all in the vehicle. The crash left her husband with an injured
17:16neck and one of her children with a broken collarbone. Somehow, Gold, whose alcohol level
17:21was over the legal limit, escaped injury.
17:24Then after posting bail, she was released from police custody, only to face all of the
17:28legal drama that was in store. On January 6, 2005, Gold, who played Carol Seaver on
17:34the sitcom, pleaded guilty to drunk driving, according to Today. And as the Associated
17:40Press reported at the time, she pleaded guilty to a second felony charge, which landed her,
17:45quote,
17:46"...three years probation, completion of 30 days of work release, supervised by the jail,
17:50and 240 hours of community service."
17:53Gold told Oprah Winfrey in 2005,
17:56My inner voice said no. Because my own code of ethic is that I don't drink and drive.
18:01It felt like a dream. Like, it felt like I couldn't believe that this was happening."
18:05If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit
18:10the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's
18:14National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP, 4357.