When a TV star is accused of something awful, it's easy to wonder how someone with so much
to lose could land themselves into so much trouble. Here are a few examples of TV stars
from '80s sitcoms who've been accused of serious crimes.
Bill Cosby has been on television since the 1960s, his first major role being Alexander
Scott in the series "I Spy". By the time the '70s rolled around, he was seen regularly
on the animated show "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids." But despite how popular Cosby was in
those two decades, he reached another level of fame in the '80s with "The Cosby Show."
During the series, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1992, the comedian played Dr. Heathcliff
Huxtable, an OB/​GYN, a wise father, and an all-around good guy. But that image would
be decimated after a number of women said that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted
them. As multiple news outlets reported, the number of accusers quickly grew to 60.
At first, it didn't seem that Cosby would be charged for the alleged acts due to statute
of limitation laws. However, that changed after a Temple University worker named Andrea
Constand testified that he drugged and sexually assaulted her in his Philadelphia home in
2004. According to CNN, Cosby was then charged with three felony counts of aggravated indecent
assault and was sentenced to 3 to 10 years of prison in 2018. But in June of 2021, the
Pennsylvania State Supreme Court overturned Cosby's ruling. This was partially because
a prosecutor made a deal with Cosby years ago and said he wouldn't prosecute him if
he agreed to give a deposition in Constand's civil case, according to the Associated Press.
Cosby was released from Pennsylvania's SCI Phoenix on Wednesday, June 30th, 2021, after
serving three years of his sentence.
When the NBC sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" aired between 1978 and 1986, Todd Bridges, who played
Willis Jackson, probably sat in a lot of comfy trailers between scenes. But by 1989, he'd
be sitting in the back of a cop car in North Hollywood, California, after being accused
of attempted murder. According to the Associated Press, a 23-year-old Bridges and another man
named Harvey Duckett had an altercation with Kenneth "Tex" Clay, a convicted drug dealer,
who believed the two men were breaking into a vacant house that was connected to drug
activity.
The Associated Press noted the actor was arrested at the same house in January of that year
on cocaine-related charges. And on the day Bridges and Duckett were approached by Clay,
Bridges was accused of shooting him five times, while Duckett stabbed him. But in November
of 1989, while being represented by famed attorney Johnnie Cochran, the '80s star was
found not guilty of attempted murder, as well as attempted voluntary manslaughter, according
to UPI. And as news outlets reported, the following year, Bridges was acquitted again
after he was retried on the sole count of assault with a deadly weapon.
Things eventually took a positive turn for Bridges: As he told Page Six in 2021, he has
been sober since 1993.
Neither Dustin Diamond or his character Samuel "Screech" Powers on NBC's "Saved by the Bell"
were associated with violence. So some might've been shocked when the Associated Press reported
the actor was arrested for stabbing a man in 2015 on Christmas Day. Per the report,
Diamond and his girlfriend Amanda Schutz got into a physical altercation with a group at
a restaurant in Port Washington, Wisconsin. According to the Associated Press, Schutz
became upset when people began taking photos of her and Diamond. But according to the actor's
version of things, the group was extremely rowdy, and he eventually saw Schutz being
held by two men while she was bleeding.
That's when Diamond acted and claimed he stabbed the victim with the pen he was using to sign
his check. Later, however, the California native admitted to carrying a knife, but said
he didn't stab anyone intentionally — he was just swinging his arms around trying to
free himself after being grabbed. Eventually, Diamond was charged with recklessly endangering
public safety, faced a 10-year prison sentence, and pleaded not guilty. In the end, he was
found guilty of the disorderly-conduct-with-a-dangerous-weapon charge, as well as carrying a concealed weapon.
According to CNN, he was sentenced to 120 days in jail, 15 months of probation, and
had to pay $1,000 in restitution. Sadly, Diamond died in February of 2021 after being diagnosed
with stage 4 small cell carcinoma just one month prior. He was 44 years old.
You might remember Brian Bonsall as the little kid who played Andy Keaton, the youngest sibling
on "Family Ties." After the show, he had several run-ins with the law. According to the Associated
Press, in 2007 he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in Boulder, Colorado, where
he resided. He was charged with second-degree assault and false imprisonment soon after
— but claimed self-defense. Based on his version of events, Bonsall said that his girlfriend
stabbed him in the arm, which she denied. According to Deseret News, he pleaded guilty
to third-degree assault and got probation.
In 2009, Bonsall landed in hot water with cops again when they responded to a report
of two people fighting in a Boulder, Colorado, apartment building. According to Daily Camera,
his friend Michael Trujillo said the actor, quote, "picked up a stool, broke it over a
stair railing and hit him five to six times in the face." He faced charges of third-degree
assault and was dinged for failing to miss a court appearance regarding the 2007 arrest.
According to the Associated Press, he also got in trouble with authorities in 2010 for
smoking marijuana — a violation of his probation. The Daily News reported he pleaded guilty
and received probation for the 2009 incident.
Speaking with StarTrek.com in 2016, Bonsall said:
"I'm not proud of my past mistakes but you live and you learn, I guess [...] hopefully.
I've learned a lot about myself, that's for sure."
On July 30th, 1998, former "Diff'rent Strokes" star Gary Coleman was arrested for assault
and battery for punching a fan in the face who wanted an autograph, and many seemed really
taken aback. And that level of shock probably deepened when people learned that Coleman,
who was one of TV's biggest stars in the '80s, was working as a mall security guard. As Court
TV detailed, Coleman was shopping at a uniform store to purchase a bulletproof vest for his
security guard job when Tracy Fields, a Los Angeles bus driver, asked for the autograph.
Coleman only signed his name, and Fields got upset because he didn't write a kind message
to her as well. According to the actor's court testimony, the woman was, quote, "really rude"
to him. He said:
"She wouldn't leave me alone. I was getting scared, and she was getting ugly."
However, before the trial ended, Coleman, who was facing one year behind bars, pleaded
no contest to disturbing the peace and avoided jail time. He was also placed on one year
of probation, had to pay a $400 fine, and was ordered to take anger management classes.
Tragically, in May of 2010, the former TV star died after falling accidentally at his
house in Utah. He was 42 years old.
In 2019, former "Silver Spoons" star Rick Schroder was accused of hitting his girlfriend
twice, resulting in two arrests. According to CNN, the first incident took place on April
2nd in the actor's home in Topanga, California, but the details are fuzzy. The Associated
Press reported Schroder's girlfriend said the incident was, quote, "a big misunderstanding"
after police arrived, and because there was no proof of the alleged assault, there were
no charges filed.
According to the Associated Press, on May 1st, 2019, Schroder was taken into police
custody after his girlfriend phoned 911 and said that he punched her. But later that month,
prosecutors said they wouldn't be pressing charges. Per the Associated Press, not only
did, quote, "prosecutors say she was uncooperative" during the investigation, but she claimed
that Schroder "hit her by accident because she startled him as he was sleeping." The
woman also said that he used alcohol and Ambien before bed, according to legal documents obtained
by NBC Los Angeles, and the former "NYPD Blue" star spent around six hours in the pokey before
being released on $50,000 bond. He denied the accusations.
Mackenzie Phillips, who starred in "One Day at a Time" as Julie Romano, had a longtime
battle with substance abuse, which eventually got her fired from the show.
"Mother, dear, I want you to know that I'm sorry for my whole attitude."
There was a period, however, when it seemed Phillips got her addiction under control.
Despite this, though, a 2008 arrest would prove otherwise. At the time, Reuters reported
that the actor was arrested and taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport.
Authorities told the outlet:
"Following a secondary screening, she was found to be in possession of what appeared
to be cocaine and heroin."
Talking to People about the arrest in 2016, Phillips said the incident was a turning point.
She explained:
"Sometimes the universe has a plan to stop you in your tracks to save your life. That
was that day for me."
In 2016, Breathe Life Healing Centers announced Phillips joined their team as an addiction
counselor.
One could say the troubles that surrounded Dana Plato after being on television led to
a deeper look into child stars and how they've been affected by fame, money, and overall
stardom. Not unlike her "Diff'rent Strokes" colleagues Todd Bridges and Gary Coleman,
she went through some difficult times after the series.
As NBC 3 News recounted, Plato was arrested for robbing $160 from a Las Vegas video store
with a pellet gun in 1991.
"I had the door open, she came in, stopped at the counter, and she pulled out a gun."
Not only was she caught after returning to the scene of the crime while police were still
investigating, but the clerk recognized her during the robbery. Her bail was set at $13,000,
and Sin City staple Wayne Newton ponied up the cash to help her out. She was hit with
probation, and according to the Associated Press, she, quote, "was given another five
years' probation for forging prescriptions for Valium" in 1992.
Sadly, the way it appeared, Plato continued to have personal struggles after the robbery,
and she died on May 8, 1999. Her death was later ruled a suicide by the deputy state
medical examiner.
Many were probably first introduced to Gary Dourdan as the character Shazza Zulu in NBC's
"A Different World," but that was far from his last role. But later, in November 2011,
he was in serious legal trouble after his ex-girlfriend Nicole Cannizzaro claimed he
broke her nose in a violent attack. As TMZ reported, Cannizzaro alleged Dourdan began
hitting her while she was shopping at Whole Foods with his son. She said she then went
to the actor's apartment and was attacked for a second time. Dourdan was charged with
felony assault and battery. A judge also granted Cannizzaro a restraining order against Dourdan,
who denied the allegations once a trial date was set. He told E! News in 2012:
"I have been waiting a long time and I haven't had a voice. I did not do this."
Based on Dourdan's explanation, he discovered his child missing on the night of the incident
and found him shopping with Cannizzaro at Whole Foods. According to E! News, he said
that he, quote, "put his son into a cab and when Cannizzaro tried to get in as well, Dourdan
pushed her away." He then claimed that Cannizzaro went to his place and, quote, "broke in through
his garage and was throwing power tools around" right before going to a personal injury lawyer.
In the end, TMZ reported Dourdan took a plea deal and received five years probation, while
also having to take 52 weeks of domestic violence and drug counseling.
Presumably, when most thought of Scott Baio, they probably only thought of Chachi, his
character on "Happy Days" or maybe Charles, his role on "Charles in Charge." But after
2018 rolled around, his reputation took a huge hit since his former "Charles in Charles"
castmate Nicole Eggert alleged he sexually assaulted her when she was a child. She wrote
in a now-deleted Tweet:
"Ask @scottbaio what happened in his garage at his house when I was a minor."
Baio defended himself on Facebook Live and said he had sex with Eggert, but not until
after the show ended and she was 18 years old. He also brought up an interview Eggert
had on "Nik Richie Radio," where she alleged Baio molested her when she was underage. Eggert
also shared her story on "Megyn Kelly Today." Eggert told Kelly:
"The issue with him is that he was our boss. He also was telling me, 'You can't tell anybody,
this is illegal, I will go to jail.'"
Following Eggert's interview, Baio appeared on "Good Morning America" where he denied
the allegations.
Then in February 2018, Alexander Polinsky, who also played in "Charles In Charge," alleged
he suffered abuse and, quote, "mental torture" from Baio while claiming that he bragged to
him about bedding, quote, "young girls and co-stars of the show," according to The Hollywood
Reporter.
The charges against Baio were dismissed in June 2018, with the DA citing the statute
of limitations, according to People.
Actor T.K. Carter is largely known for being in a slew of TV shows and movies in the '70s
and '80s, but some probably know him from playing teacher Mike Fulton on "Punky Brewster."
In 1991, however, his name became associated with what seemed to be a pretty bizarre crime
for a famous, seemingly successful actor to commit. According to the Associated Press:
"Carter walked up to a woman in her driveway and demanded her luxury car."
She alleged he punched her in the stomach before making off with her vehicle, and she
reported the car as stolen.
According to the Los Angeles Times, when cops eventually caught up with Carter, he was apparently,
quote, "standing against a car and babbling incoherently." Per the Associated Press, after
the actor was arrested, he paid his bail, which was set at $10,000. For some reason,
details about the case after his arrest are scarce. But either way, the crime didn't seem
to slow down Carter's acting career much, as he played in well over 20 shows after that
1991 incident, including "How to Get Away with Murder".
Who would think that Janet Wood would spend a night in jail? Probably not many, but that's
what happened on July 4, 2009. Well, it wasn't Wood who got put in cuffs — it was the woman
who played her on "Three's Company." According to the Associated Press, Joyce DeWitt found
herself in hot water, quote, "after she drove past a barricade near a park in El Segundo."
The officer who pulled her over put her through field sobriety tests, which she did not pass.
From there, she was booked and charged with one count of driving under the influence and
one count of driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08%, according to ET. She was
released on bail the next morning after plunking down $5,000.
According to NBC Los Angeles, the West Virginia native eventually pleaded no contest to misdemeanor
DUI, and received three years probation. She was ordered to pay a $510 fine, along with
added penalty costs. She also had to complete a nine-month alcohol program. It's safe to
assume that DeWitt will hop in a cab these days if she's had too much to drink, possibly
giving an Uber or Lyft driver a memorable shift.
It was the 2019 college admissions cheating scandal that made all kinds of headlines,
with former "Full House" actor Lori Loughlin earning a stay in a Dublin, California, federal
prison for her role in it. In March 2019, it was revealed that Loughlin and dozens of
others, including "Desperate Housewives" alum Felicity Huffman, were involved in the college
admissions scandal known as "Operation Varsity Blues." Both Loughlin and husband Mossimo
Giannulli were hit with multiple charges, including one count of conspiracy to commit
mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
According to NBC News, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli reportedly paid half a million dollars
to a man named Rick Singer and Key Worldwide Foundation to, quote, "bolster their two daughters'
chances of gaining admission to the University of Southern California." Then, after first
pleading not guilty, the actor and her husband accepted a plea deal and admitted to one count
of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.
Loughlin turned herself in to begin her two-month prison sentence on October 29, 2020, and was
released in December of that year. She also has been placed on two years of supervised
release, has to pay a $150,000 fine, and must do 100 hours of community service, according
to CNN. Her husband, meanwhile, was sentenced to five months of prison and also received
two years of supervised release.
When former "Growing Pains" star Tracey Gold's mugshot surfaced after being booked for felony
drunk driving in 2004, her eyes were wet with tears and she appeared unhappy. But she also
probably felt relieved that her family survived what could've been a tragic accident.
As Today reported at the time, Gold flipped her SUV on a California highway. Her husband
and their three children were all in the vehicle. The crash left her husband with an injured
neck and one of her children with a broken collarbone. Somehow, Gold, whose alcohol level
was over the legal limit, escaped injury. Then after posting bail, she was released
from police custody, only to face all of the legal drama that was in store.
On January 6, 2005, Gold — who played Carol Seaver on the sitcom — pleaded guilty to
drunk driving, according to Today. And as The Associated Press reported at the time,
she pleaded guilty to a second felony charge, which landed her, quote, "three years' probation,
completion of 30 days of work release supervised by the jail and 240 hours of community service."
Gold told Oprah Winfrey in 2005:
"My inner voice said no. Because my own code of ethics is that I don't drink and drive.
It felt like a dream. It felt like I couldn't believe this was happening."
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's
National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).