PLAYBOY MAGAZINE June 1989 Mbox2411 Kimberley Conrad Dana Plato

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New love or not, Plato’s life was spiralling downward. She clearly needed money, but would she exploit her own tragic story just for some cash? The answer was a resounding yes. In 1990, Plato was getting ready to appear on the Sally Jessy Raphaël Show for a segment on child actors. Plato was also there for her own reasons: to let the world know she was clean and off drugs. But was she? Another guest on the episode, Paul Peterson—who fights for the rights of child actors—saw Plato leave the washroom with a certain powder all around her nose. Oops.

In 1988, Plato lost two loved ones in a single week. She and her husband decided to separate just as her mother lost her fight with a brutal illness. Doctors had previously diagnosed Plato’s mother with scleroderma—a rare skin disease—and after she succumbed, Plato was alone all over again. In one fell swoop, Plato suddenly had no husband, no mother, and no job. a b c d e f g Gliatto, Tom (May 24, 1999). "Little Girl Lost". People. Vol.51, no.19. ISSN 0093-7673. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018 . Retrieved May 19, 2010. Twins: Cybil and Tricia Barnstable, Sheila and Moira Stone, Piper and Tara Perry, Lynette and Leigh Harris (or Lyn and Leigh Holiday), Jo Penneya b c Rivas, Aby (January 25, 2020). "Late 'Diff'Rent Strokes' Star Dana Plato Once Revealed That Mom Kept Her in a 'Plastic Bubble' ". AmoMama . Retrieved January 25, 2020. Once Plato had left the video store, the clerk dialled 9-1-1 and made the now world-famous announcement: “I’ve just been robbed by the girl who played Kimberly on Diff’rent Strokes.” I guess Plato hadn’t considered how hard it would be to get away with this sort of thing when she was so famous. But 15 minutes after the incident took place, Plato did something surprising. Return to Boggy Creek". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013.

Later on in the holiday, Plato uncovered that she felt unwell, and took a couple of dosages of painkiller Lortab, alongside the muscle-relaxant Soma, and went to rests inside her Winnebago R.V. with Menchaca, which was stopped external the house. RELATED: 41 Hottest Pictures Of Clare Bowen 8.Annual Awards". Young Artist Award. April 2, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2011 . Retrieved January 18, 2020.

Sporkin, Elizabeth (March 24, 1991). "Diff'rent Strokes, Fallen Stars". People. 35 (11). Archived from the original on April 5, 2016 . Retrieved June 26, 2010. Plato was born to a teen mother and was adopted as an infant. She was raised in the San Fernando Valley and was an accomplished figure skater before acting. Her acting career began with numerous commercial appearances, and her television debut came at the age of 10 with a brief appearance on the television series The Six Million Dollar Man (1975). Plato subsequently appeared in the horror films Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and Return to Boggy Creek (1977).Tragically, Tyler Lambert inherited his mother’s addiction issues, though he did have more support than she did. Johnny Whitaker, a child star himself, is an addiction counselor and took an interest in Plato’s son’s life. He tried to get Lambert off drugs, but it was an uphill battle. According to Lambert himself, he missed his mother and this drove him to some of his substance use. Even so Whitaker had his doubts. Following Plato’s video store incident, a national debate erupted about child stars who had trouble in their later lives. They didn’t have to look very far. Plato’s two child costars, Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges, were in as much, if not more, trouble than Plato. While the national debate was extremely serious, a local radio show wasn’t above taking pot shots.