Most television dramas are either fictional, comedic, or based on real-life events, often depicting characters with stories derived from existing scripts. However, sometimes real-life tragedies unfold outside the filming sets.
In the 75-year history of American television, many actors have been involved in scandals or tragic incidents that were not deserved. Yet, with some shows, several cast members faced real-life difficulties outside the filming environment or even worse. When these incidents occur, the productions often face the stigma of being “cursed.”
Below are some TV shows that have been evaluated as being cursed, leaving the most haunting shadows.
Glee
Glee is a musical television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired from 2009 to 2015 on Fox. The show received high praise from critics and audiences alike. It centers around a high school glee club named Glee, bringing together students with diverse personalities and stories but a common passion for music.
Despite launching many actors into stardom, Glee also became a dark cloud for its cast, as they witnessed numerous tragedies.
Naya Rivera (left), Cory Monteith (center), and Mark Salling all passed away at young ages.
On July 13, 2013, Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on the show, was found dead in a hotel room in Vancouver, Canada, at the age of 31. The cause of death was determined to be a toxic mix of substances. Four months prior to his death, he had entered rehab for substance abuse.
Mark Salling, who portrayed Stuart “Puck” Puckerman, faced legal troubles after his girlfriend reported him for child pornography in 2011. He was ordered to pay $2.7 million in damages. In December 2015, Salling was arrested at his home in Los Angeles for possessing child pornography. He pleaded guilty in May 2016 and was sentenced in September 2017. In January 2018, Salling died by suicide near his home.
The most tragic case is that of Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez. She passed away at the age of 33 on July 8, 2020, due to drowning at Lake Piru in Los Padres National Forest, California. According to investigators, she and her son rented a boat to go swimming. Due to not wearing a life jacket, both mother and child ended up drowning. Rivera struggled to get her son back onto the boat and succumbed to the water’s pressure. Later, her 4-year-old son was found alive on the boat. The actress’s body was discovered five days after her death. No evidence of foul play was found, and it was noted that she had consumed alcohol.
Additionally, in June 2020, Lea Michele (who played Rachel Berry) was accused of being difficult to work with by co-star Samantha Marie Ware on the set of season 6 of Glee. Other cast members, including Heather Morris, Alex Newell, Amber Riley, and Lindsay Pearce, spoke out about their experiences. Ultimately, Lea had to publicly apologize.
Lea Michele faced backlash after being accused by her co-star. Image: Fox.
Diff’rent Strokes
Diff’rent Strokes is a popular sitcom that aired on NBC from 1978 to 1985 and on ABC from 1985 to 1986. The show revolves around two African American boys from Harlem (Todd Bridges, Gary Coleman) who are taken in by a wealthy businessman (Conrad Bain) and his daughter (Dana Plato).
It is unclear why, but three cast members faced serious issues in their lives. Two of them passed away under tragic circumstances.
Bridges (who played Willis Jackson) began abusing drugs during the show’s run. At the age of 20, he became a cocaine addict. In 1989, at 24 years old, he was arrested and charged with attempted murder after a drug deal went wrong. The actor later faced charges again in 1992 after the Burbank, California police discovered methamphetamine and a loaded firearm in his vehicle. Bridges was released and stopped using drugs the following year. All of these hardships were discussed in his 2008 autobiography.
Plato faced hardships after leaving the show in 1984, following the birth of her child at 20. After Diff’rent Strokes, she had difficulty finding work. In 1989, she posed for Playboy and appeared in several B-grade films. Throughout the 1990s, she continued to face various scandals, including a video store robbery in 1991 and being arrested for possession of diazepam in 1992. Ultimately, in May 1999, she was found dead at 34 in a car outside her mother’s home in Oklahoma. She was confirmed to have overdosed on hydrocodone and other prescription drugs. Authorities suspected her death was a suicide, but there were no witnesses.
All three Diff’rent Strokes child stars faced challenges in their lives. Image: Courtesy Everett Collection.
Coleman (who played Arnold Jackson) faced legal troubles after being charged with assault in a California shopping mall in 1998. He filed for bankruptcy in 1999. In 2009, Coleman died during heart surgery at age 41. In May 2010, he suffered a stroke at home in Utah and was left in a coma. He passed away on May 27, 2010, at the age of 42.
Family Affair
Family Affair is a sitcom that aired on CBS from 1966 to 1971. The series follows bachelor Bill Davis (Brian Keith) who is tasked with raising his late brother’s three children: 15-year-old Cissy (Kathy Garver) and 6-year-old twins Buffy and Jody (Anissa Jones, Johnny Whitaker) in a luxurious New York apartment.
Five years after the show ended, Anissa Jones was found dead at 18 in a bedroom of a friend’s house in Oceanside, California. She died of an overdose and was unable to return home due to excessive drug use, including cocaine and PCP (a hallucinogen), Quaaludes (a sedative), and Seconal (a tranquilizer). The coroner ruled her death accidental.
Brian Keith died by suicide at 75 in 1997, just two months after his daughter’s death. Before passing, he had been battling lung cancer and heart disease.
The cast of Family Affair (from left to right): Cathy Garver, Brian Keith, Sebastian Cabot, Johnny Whitaker, and Anissa Jones.
Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman (1952 – 1958) is one of the earliest superhero series on American television. The show centers around the superhero who helps people in need, portrayed by George Reeves.
The series brought George fame in Hollywood, but it was also the last project he participated in.
In 1959, one year after the show was canceled, George died at 45 in his bedroom at his home in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, in the early morning. At the time of his death, a party was happening downstairs. Police discovered a gun by his side.
To this day, the cause of his death remains a mystery. Authorities ruled it a suicide, but many people do not believe this. There are suspicions surrounding his fiancée, Leonore Lemmon.
George’s life and tragic death inspired the film Hollywoodland in 2006, featuring Ben Affleck.
George Reeves died after the end of his role in Adventures of Superman. Image: Courtesy Everett Collection.
Our Gang
Our Gang (also known as The Little Rascals, 1922-1944) was not produced for television, but many people know the series when watching local television. The short comedy series depicted a group of kids in a poor neighborhood and their adventures.
Our Gang was filmed over 22 years, featuring a cast of child actors including Carl Switzer as Alfalfa, George McFarland as Spanky, Matthew Beard as Stymie, Norman Chaney as Chubby, Darla Hood as Darla, and Billie Thomas as Buckwheat…
Switzer, who was just 12 when he ended his role in Our Gang, continued to struggle in Hollywood but was only offered minor roles in film and television. He eventually got married but did not stay for long. In 1958, he was shot by an unknown assailant outside a bar (the gunman was never caught). By the end of the year, he was found dead in Sequoia National Park for illegally hunting 15 trees and was sentenced to a year in prison.
In 1959, Switzer was hired by a friend, Bud Stiltz, as a dog trainer. Stiltz later went missing but was found dead the day after his birthday in a car accident. At the time of his death, he was just 31 years old. The death was ruled an accident.
The tragedy also extended to Norman Chaney (Chubby). He continued to gain weight uncontrollably, ultimately reaching 300 pounds despite having a normal diet and exercising regularly. He was diagnosed with obesity and underwent treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital, slimming down to just over 200 pounds. However, the rapid weight loss and numerous health issues caused his body to deteriorate. He died of heart disease in 1936 at the age of 21.
Matthew Beard (Stymie) left Our Gang at 10 and quit acting when he entered high school. He fell into drug use, became addicted to heroin, lived on the streets for a while, and eventually went to prison. In the late 1960s, he entered drug rehabilitation programs in Los Angeles, after which he appeared in minor roles on shows like Sanford and Son, Maude, and The Jeffersons. He was arrested and died just before his 56th birthday. In January 1981, he passed away due to lung cancer.
From left to right: Mickey Gubitosi (Mickey), Billie Thomas (Buckwheat), William Laughlin (Froggy), and George McFarland (Spanky). Image: Courtesy Everett Collection.
Robert Hutchins, who played Weezer, did not pursue an acting career and instead enlisted in the Air Force. In 1945, he died in a plane crash during a training exercise. At the time, he was only 19 years old.
William Laughlin was hit by a truck while riding his motorcycle and died at 16 while delivering newspapers.
Scott Becket (Scotty) struggled with alcohol and substance abuse, had two failed marriages, faced numerous legal issues, and died in a Hollywood nursing home after being beaten. He passed away two days later at the age of 38. A significant amount of drugs was found near his body, but the exact cause of death has not been officially determined.
Source: NY Post
