12 Facts About The Dark Side Of 70s Sitcom Celebrities

The 1970s bright and bubbly sitcoms were a stark contrast to the real lives of those who starred in them. Behind the laughter and simple resolutions on screen, many actors faced significant personal challenges. Here’s a closer look at the lesser-known, often painful realities behind some of the most iconic figures from ’70s sitcoms, revealing the struggles that shaped their lives off-camera.

David Cassidy from The Partridge Family Speaks Out
David Cassidy, famous for his role in The Partridge Family, battled a severe addiction to alcohol. At a 2008 event, he made a startling public admission: “Tonight, I am publicly stating that I am an alcoholic.” Despite efforts to stay sober, Cassidy continued to struggle. At one point, he suggested that his deteriorating health was due to dementia, but later he confessed, “I lied about my drinking. I did this to myself to cover up the sadness and the emptiness.” Sadly, his ongoing battle with alcohol eventually led to his death in 2017.

Fred Berry’s Life After What’s Happening!!
Fred Berry, best known as Rerun on What’s Happening!!, also faced his share of troubles. In a 1996 interview with People magazine, Berry spoke about the dark side of his fame. “I was a millionaire by the time I was 29,” he recalled. However, the stress of success led him to heavy drug and alcohol use. “I was empty inside,” he admitted. Fortunately, Berry turned his life around in 1985, getting sober and becoming a Christian minister. Despite his professional success, Berry’s personal life was tumultuous, having married six times, some to the same person. He passed away in 2003.

Erin Moran’s Downfall After Happy Days
Erin Moran, known for playing Joanie on Happy Days, faced a difficult road after the show ended. She took on roles in series like Murder, She Wrote, and The Love Boat, but her acting opportunities dried up, leading to a decade-long absence from television. Her personal life hit a low in 2010 when she lost her home to foreclosure. After moving in with her mother-in-law, she was kicked out due to excessive partying. Left with no stable home, she ended up living in motels, relying on royalties from Happy Days. Tragically, her life was further marred by a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma in 2016, which left her unable to speak by 2017. Moran died in Indiana at the age of 56.

Jeff Conaway’s Battle with Addictions
Jeff Conaway, known for his roles as Kenickie in Grease and Bobby Wheeler in Taxi, faced ongoing struggles with addiction. Conaway left Taxi in 1982, reportedly due to dissatisfaction with his character’s storyline. However, writer Sam Simon later disclosed that Conaway was fired after being found intoxicated in his dressing room. His career spiraled downward, landing him on VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club in 2006. He left the show after three episodes to seek treatment for substance abuse. In 2010, Conaway’s struggles deepened when he broke multiple bones in a fall, leading to an addiction to painkillers. Sadly, Conaway’s battle ended in 2011 with a fatal medication overdose at 60.

Mary Tyler Moore’s Battle with Diabetes
Mary Tyler Moore, the beloved star of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the height of her career. According to her husband, Dr. Robert Levine, her condition progressively worsened. “What she was never able to overcome was the vision-stealing impact of her diabetic eye disease,” Levine said in an interview with JDRF. Moore’s deteriorating eyesight made everyday activities challenging, like navigating a room or walking in dim lighting. By the time of her 2013 reunion on Hot in Cleveland, she was almost completely blind, and accommodations had to be made for her on set. Moore passed away in 2017, having battled diabetes for decades.

Red Foxx’s Financial Struggles
Red Foxx, famed for his role in Sanford and Son, faced severe financial issues despite his success. Mismanagement and extravagant spending left him drowning in debt. By 1983, he declared bankruptcy. Six years later, the IRS accused him of tax evasion, leading to the seizure and auction of his property and assets. In 1991, Foxx died on the set of his show The Royal Family. At his death, he still owed $3.6 million in back taxes.

The Disturbing Incident Involving MAS*H Star Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan, beloved as Col. Sherman T. Potter on MAS*H, faced a troubling accusation in 1996. At the age of 81, he was charged with misdemeanor spousal battery after police responded to his home and found his wife, Barbara, with injuries requiring medical attention. “Barbara said that her husband had been arguing with her at a dinner party before they went home, where things got physical,” reports said. Morgan avoided further legal trouble by completing a court-ordered domestic violence program, resulting in the charges being dismissed.

Behind the Scenes of Bridget Loves Bernie
Bridget Loves Bernie was a groundbreaking sitcom about an interfaith marriage, but it stirred up controversy off-screen. Rabbi Wolfe Kelman criticized the show, calling it “an insult to some of the most sacred values of both the Jewish and Catholic religions,” leading to calls for its cancellation. Off-screen, the real-life marriage of co-stars Meredith Baxter and David Birney also faced challenges. Baxter described their marriage as “toxic and physically violent” in her memoir, noting that she turned to alcohol to cope with the situation. She achieved sobriety in 1990, long after the show and marriage had ended.

The Unexpected Turn in Doris Day’s Career
Doris Day, a movie star from the 1940s, found her career unexpectedly redirected toward television without her knowledge. Her husband and manager, Martin Melcher, committed her to star in The Doris Day Show on CBS after his death, leaving her blindsided. “All without anyone ever asking me,” Day later reflected in an interview with OK! Magazine. Day faced financial ruin due to Melcher’s poor management and lawyer Jerome Rosenthal’s fraud, leading her to sue and win a substantial settlement in 1974. Her show concluded in 1973, marking the end of her acting career, and she passed away in 2019 at age 97.

Ron Howard’s Strategic Move to Happy Days
Ron Howard, who grew up on TV as Opie Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show, faced the prospect of the Vietnam draft in the early 1970s. After some TV roles, Howard found himself on the pilot of Love and the Happy Days, which would eventually evolve into Happy Days. Initially reluctant to take on another TV role, Howard faced the real concern of being drafted. “If your employment was directly related to the employment of 30 or more people, you could get a work deferment,” he explained. By taking the role, Howard not only advanced his career but also avoided military service. Ironically, the draft ended shortly after, and Happy Days became a hit.

Robin Williams’ Turbulent Times on Mork & Mindy
Robin Williams shot to fame as Mork, an alien character in Mork & Mindy, but his off-screen life was less jovial. Williams later admitted, “Cocaine for me was a place to hide… It slowed me down,” as he struggled with addiction during the show’s run. His behavior on set, fueled by cocaine use, included inappropriate conduct towards co-star Pam Dawber, who recalled, “He’d look at you, really playful, like a puppy… And then he’d grab your t*** and run away.” These actions reflect a starkly different era in workplace culture. Williams quit his substance abuse in 1982 after personal hardships and the death of a friend.

Cindy Williams’ Departure from Laverne & Shirley
On Laverne & Shirley, Cindy Williams’ sudden departure signaled deeper conflicts behind the scenes. As viewership waned, her pregnancy in 1982 became a flashpoint. Though producers initially accommodated her, tensions rose over contract terms, sparking a dispute. Williams sued for unfair treatment, and after a quiet settlement, she never returned, ending her iconic on-screen partnership with Penny Marshall.