That '70s Show was a lighthearted comedy, but its stars haven't always had the easiest life.
Which star came to the US to start a new life with only $250?
Who sadly passed away in rehab? Keep watching for the tragic details.
Laura Prepon, who played Donna Pinciotti on That '70s Show, went through a very difficult period
early in her life. When she was 13, her father died unexpectedly as a result of a drastic medical
error. Prepon wrote in her memoir, You and I, as Mothers: A Raw and Honest Guide to Motherhood:
"We had been told that layers of fat were attacking his heart,
making it difficult for the vital organ to pump blood. [...] While he was on the operating table,
the doctors, thinking they were removing layers of fat,
were actually peeling away layers of his enlarged heart; they'd misdiagnosed him."
Prepon went on to explain that her mother's reaction to this death was to not cry,
or at least not in front of her daughter,
and it conditioned Prepon to avoid showing her emotions well into adulthood. She wrote:
"It took me a while, and many talks with my husband,
to realize that crying didn't equal weakness."
Her mother was also instrumental in Prepon developing bulimia when she was younger.
She revealed to People:
"If there's someone out there who's silently struggling with dysfunctional
eating or struggling with their parents, and if I helped a single person, I'd be happy."
Remember that time Mila Kunis expertly shut down a Russian journalist all in Russian?
"Are you hearing this translated?"
"It's late."
If you're wondering why the actor who played
Jackie Burkhart on That '70s Show speaks the language so fluently,
it's because she was actually born in Ukraine while it was still part of the USSR.
Kunis' family left the country when she and her brother were still kids. Kunis told The Telegraph:
"My parents thought that my brother and I would have no future there,
though, so we moved to the United States."
Saying that they arrived with only $250, she explained:
"That was all we were allowed to take with us.
My parents had given up good jobs and degrees, which were not transferable."
She also noted she's always been, quote, "aware of what a dollar is worth."
"Ok, did I win, did I win, did I win?"
"Not even close."
"Oh. Well, I don't care. I don't work, so money doesn't really mean anything to me."
Kunis' family is Jewish, which added a layer of difficulty when it came to
building a good life in Russia. She told WhatCulture in 2011:
"There was a bit of anti-Semitism in Russia."
In an interview with The Sun, she remembered:
"When I was in school you would still see anti-Semitic signs."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, in 2012, a Ukrainian politician directed a
slur at the actor, which was heavily condemned by the Jewish community.
Kurtwood Smith played strict father Red Forman on That '70s Show. Sadly, he didn't get to experience
life with his own father, George A. Smith, who died in March 1945, fighting in World War II.
In 2017, Smith posted a photo of himself posing next to his father's grave on Twitter. He wrote:
"Veterans Day at my father's grave in the Netherlands American Cemetery near Margraten.
Though I never knew him I always remember him!"
The '70s Show alum also played a father in the film Dead Poets Society, in which his son dies,
a role that was emotional for him both as a parent and as a performer. He told Collider in 2018:
"I've had multiple people tell me that that movie changed their relationship with
their father. [...] To be part of something that changed people's lives [...] is great,
it's really special."
Ashton Kutcher who played goofy jock Michael Kelso on That '70s Show, has a twin brother
named Michael. Michael was born underweight and with breathing issues and although he survived,
he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. At age 13, he was diagnosed with heart
failure and told he had just three to four weeks to live. But thankfully,
Michael defeated the odds and successfully received a life saving heart transplant.
In 2003, the That '70s Show star revealed in an interview that his brother had cerebral palsy,
which initially hurt Michael deeply. But Michael has since changed his stance.
He told Today in 2021:
"[Ashton] did me the biggest favor he's ever done because he allowed me to be myself."
Michael is a fierce advocate for disability and organ donation,
helping people across the country cope with their health issues.
Ashton Kutcher has seen a fair share of horror in his lifetime. In 2001, he was set to go on
a first date with a woman named Ashley Ellerin a fashion design student. Kutcher spoke to Ellerin
on the phone beforehand to let her know he would be slightly late. But when he made it to her house
and knocked on the door, there was no answer. A prosecutor said during the trial in 2019:
"Mr. Kutcher looked in the window and saw what he thought was spilled wine on the floor.
We believe now the evidence will show that was actually blood."
Kutcher left, thinking Ellerin was angry that he was late and had gone out.
He was never a suspect in the case but did testify in court.
In August 2019, Michael Gargiulo, an air conditioning repairman, was found guilty
of murdering Ellerin and a second woman, as well as attempt to murder a third. Gargiulo,
dubbed as the "Hollywood ripper," reportedly stabbed Ellerin a total of 47 times. Michelle
Murphy, the woman who survived Gargiulo's attack, testified in the trial. She said:
"To this day, spending the night alone creates a world of fear in me."
"How is it fair that one person's actions can destroy the lives of so many?"
Gargiulo was given a death sentence in July 2021.
Tanya Roberts, who played Midge Pinciotti on That '70s Show, sadly passed away in early
2021. Roberts collapsed on Christmas Eve 2020 and was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center,
according to ABC News. Her partner, Lance O'Brien, wasn't allowed to visit her due
to COVID restrictions, although he was ultimately permitted to say goodbye.
Roberts died from complications related to a urinary tract infection,
although there was confusion as to the time of her death. On January 4,
2021, O'Brien believed Roberts to be dead and communicated this to the press. But during
an interview with Inside Edition that day, O'Brien received a call from the hospital.
"Now you're telling me that... that she's alive? Oh, thank the Lord!"
But Roberts sadly passed the next day. O'Brien said:
"She was my soulmate, she was my best friend. We haven't been apart for two days."
The actor, who was 65, left O'Brien the entirety of her estate.
Tommy Chong played the hippie Leo Chingkwake on That '70s Show and,
as anyone of a certain age knows, the character wasn't too far off from the actor's real life.
He even credits it for the success of his comic duo with Richard "Cheech" Marin
[MAIR-in], Cheech and Chong. Chong told The Guardian:
"It was my job as a writer and performer to deliver the goods.
So if that meant being stoned, I gladly did it."
And cannabis also landed him a nine-month prison sentence. The Los Angeles Times reported in
2003 that he was sent to jail for selling drug paraphernalia and was fined $20,000.
Chong's character was absent from Seasons 5 and 6 of That '70s Show
due to his prison sentence but returned in time for Season 8.
Chong evidently found a silver lining. He "became more at peace with himself"
while incarcerated, according to The Guardian. The actor is now at
the helm of his own cannabis brand, Tommy Chong's Cannabis.
Lisa Robin Kelly portrayed Laurie Forman on That '70s Show until the sixth season,
when she was replaced by Christina Moore. Kelly led a difficult life after being
replaced on the show, and was arrested several times throughout the 2010s. In November 2010,
Kelly pleaded guilty to a DUI while in North Carolina and was arrested on suspicion of
a second DUI in June 2013. She was also arrested for spousal abuse in April 2012,
but told TMZ that her male roommate was trying to frame her. She said:
"He must have scratched himself or done something to himself. I am clean and sober
and I have made a lot of progress. I am completely innocent. I weigh 105 pounds.
I could never hurt him. I just want to start working again."
She was arrested for assault in November 2012.
"He's saying that you assaulted him."
"He's saying that I assaulted him."
"Did you do that to him?"
"No, absolutely not."
Kelly struggled with addiction and checked herself into rehab in 2013.
She tragically passed away in her sleep while staying at the facility.
She was 43 years old. Her agent, Craig Wyckoff, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times:
"I spoke to her on Monday and she was hopeful and confident,
looking forward to putting this part of her life behind her. Last night she lost the battle."
In 2014, a coroner confirmed that Kelly died of multiple drug intoxication,
per The Wrap. Her estranged husband, Robert Gilliam,
sued the rehab facility for negligence in 2014, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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).