She came to fame as a child star but found out soon enough that early fame often has its own pitfalls. He was suffering from intracranial brain bleeding and was on life support in the intensive care unit of a Provo, Utah hospital, Coleman's spokesman said. Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series, TV Land Awards for Best Quintessential Non-Traditional Family, Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jilland Jill. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. After their divorce in 1990, Lambert took custody of their son, who later suffered from depression and shot himself in the head. She was found dead in her RV, which she shared with fiancee Robert Menchaca, during a visit with family in Oklahoma. Failed to delete memorial. Failed to delete flower. She looks familiar.' Plato was born to teen mother Linda Strain in 1964 and was adopted by Dean and Florine "Kay" Plato in 1965. [21][22][23] In 1984, following the birth of her son Tyler, Plato was dismissed from her starring role due to both that and struggles in her personal life, which producers felt would negatively impact their "wholesome family comedy". In the days leading up to Lambert's suicide, a long-time family friend told Whitaker that Lambert had "become very withdrawn and hadn't talked to anybody for three or four days." Dana Plato's Son Tyler Lambert Tkes His Own Life Just Two Days Before I had too much beer. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Her questionable luck kicked in early on -- Dana was chosen for the lead role in "The Exorcist" but her adoptive mother refused to let her appear in such a film. After he died, the tabloidTheGlobe ran a photo of him taken when he was comatose in thehospital, his ex-wife Shannon Pricelying next to him, on its cover with the headline "IT WAS MURDER!" Abandoned Winnebago in which Diff'rent Strokes actress - RV Travel Portrait of Dana Plato in 1985 | Photo: Getty Images. "Speculations as to the underlying cause of this tragedy are exactly that: speculations," read a statement at the time from the president of A Minor Consideration, an organization that provides support for current and former child performers. based on information from your browser. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Renfro had been an unruly kid from the beginning, when he was an unknown making his acting debut inThe Clientat the age of 12 alongside Susan Sarandon in 1994. She claimed she had been sober for over ten years and had not used drugs, except for painkillers. After his death from what turned out to be acute multiple drug toxicity, including cocaine and heroin, the image of him changed toanother former child actor whose life went recklessly off the railsbut those close to himsaw a young man in pain, anatural at acting who wasn't dealing healthily with the ramifications of fame. 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The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. [43], On February 28, 1991, Plato entered a video store, produced a pellet gun, and demanded the money in the cash register. The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. She was released on bail and given five years probation. Another acclaimed actor who never got old, or even middle-aged, was River Phoenix, whose death of an accidental overdose at 23 sent a bolt ofsadness through Hollywood. "It's helped me greatly. The next day, May 8, 1999, Plato died of a toxic combination of the painkiller Lortab (hydrocodone) and the muscle relaxant Somaboth of which she had been prescribed for back pain, lingering. Plato, who died at age 34, had a son, Tyler, with her former husband, rock guitarist Lanny Lambert. She was adopted by Dean and Kay Plato and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Add to your scrapbook. When the song became a hit, an actual band was needed to . I just saw the whole movie going down the drain.". Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Platoposed nude forPlayboy in 1989 and dabbled in soft-core adult entertainment, anything perhaps to reboot her career. I didn't see her after that. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. In 2000, a documentary based on Plato titled "After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped" aired on Fox. In addition to being a budding actress, Plato was an experienced figure skater, almost worthy of a potential qualification for an Olympic team. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. A few years later, she bared all for Playboy and began starring in B-movies. Nonetheless, Lambert struggled every Mother's Day. "I did say, 'You know your mother had a problem, which means you may have a problem because it is a family disease,'" said Whitaker, a former child actor who played Jody on "Family Affair" and is now a certified drug counselor. Well. She even offered on the air to take a drug test. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. The 25-year-old Tyler was Plato's son with Lanny Lambert. He recalled being raped at 3 by the brother of his father's not-so-secret girlfriend. "He wasn't. Physically and actually, they didn't.". She fell into drug addiction and died of an overdose in 1999. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. No matter how public, the stars have always found a way to suffer in silence. Plato was only 34 years old at the time of her passing. ", "My life is so good now," she added. He was in and out of court and rehab before dying of a heroin overdose at 25. He charted eight times as a songwriter between 1971 and 1980, with "White Lies, Blue Eyes" by Bullet (co-written by Flax) landing at #28 in the U.S. in 1971. The producers, satisfied with the result, asked Sorrentino to record "Changes of . Plato went to lie down inside her recreational vehicle parked outside the house and subsequently took a large dose of Lortab and Valium. I think it's right that I'm angry about it, angry at the people who helped him stay sick, and angry at River. Troubled Final Months of 'Diff'rent Strokes' Star Dana Plato In a last-ditch attempt to revive her career, Plato hired a new accountant to manage her money and had breast augmentation surgery. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. There are people that take advantage of other peoplein this case, young, young children.". "It serves no purpose to leap to conclusions for none of us will really know what led Jonathan to his decision to take his life. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. The daughter of an unwed mother, Dana was adopted by Dean and Kay Plato as an infant and raised in the San Fernando Valley. At 15, he started to go down the path his mother did as he had issues with drugs, alcohol, was acting out, and even had rehab stints. She added, "He was just obviously screaming for someone to establish some kind of boundaries for him, something that never happened in his life.". One of most haunting examples of drugs ruiningareal-deal acting career was the Jan. 15, 2008, death of Brad Renfro, star ofThe Client, Tom and Huck, Sleepers,Apt Pupiland more until addiction destroyed his life. He also would take the opportunity to cash in on his celebrity, running for governor of California in 2003 and appearing onThe Surreal Life in 2004. He was born in Brooklyn on Sept. 1, 1951 to a brutal ex-Marine and his wife. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Learn more about merges. "You just wanted to take care of this boy," talent manager J.J. Harris remembered to the Seattle Times in 2008. And I was, like, 'Wow. "If I hadn't gotten caught, it could have been the worst thing that happened to me because I could have died of a drug overdose," she said in an interview. "I've never been happier. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. The people who were saying this felt tremendous guilt that they had contributed to his death.". ", Asked about the allegations both he and Feldman had made about being sexually abused as kids by men still working in Hollywood to that day, Haim said, "That's life in this world. He sued his adoptive parents in 1989 for mismanaging his earnings, eventually winning a $1.3 million judgment. The same friend told Whitaker that Lambert always said, "he wanted to be with Mom.". The sitcom - which also starred Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges and Charlotte Rae - launched Plato and her cast-mates to instant stardom. Bullet was a one-hit wonder American rock band. Plato subsequently appeared in the horror films Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and Return to Boggy Creek (1977), playing Sandra Phalor and Evie Jo, respectively. Rough-and-tumble. [13] Plato stated: "My mother made sure that I was normal. All rights reserved. And we would always invite some people over. Lanny Lambert - Zimbio Judy Garland, a child performer in vaudeville before she signed with MGM as a teenager, was one of the young studio stars prescribed amphetamines to stay awake and barbiturates to help her sleep. Coleman, 42, has had a number of health emergencies this year, including a seizure he suffered on the set of "The Insider" in February. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. "Mother's Day was always a difficult time, not only because it was Mother's Day but the anniversary of Dana's death," Johnny Whitaker, a former child actor who had been Plato's manager and later became a certified drug counselor, told ABC News after Tyler's death. My two main competitors in the beginning, the blond-haired kids I went to audition with, one hung himself and the other died of a heroin overdose.". The series debuted in 1978 and became an immediate hit. After she left with the money, the clerk called 9-1-1 and said, "I've just been robbed by the girl who played Kimberly on Diff'rent Strokes." In 1991, Plato was arrested after robbing a video rental store for a miserable loot of one hundred and sixty-four dollars.