Diff’rent Strokes actress Melanie Watson has died. She was 57.
TMZ reported on Sunday, December 28, that Watson died two days prior in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her brother, Robert Watson, told the outlet that Melanie had been in the hospital after suffering from bleeding issues, adding that her condition deteriorated.
Melanie, who used a wheelchair, was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Cleveland Clinic defines the disorder, which is known as Brittle Bone syndrome, as a connective tissue disease that makes bones fragile, leading bones to break with little or no force.
Melanie starred as Kathy Gordon in Diff’rent Strokes, where she appeared in four episodes. The sitcom aired for eight seasons from 1978 to 1986.
Years later, Melanie reflected on her role in the series with Indie Wire, admitting she wasn’t always the easiest child.
“I was a pill. I was always playing with my yo-yo and listening to my Walkman,” she said. “Back in those days I didn’t have a wheelchair. So I was carried everywhere.”
Melanie recalled that the manual wheelchair she used would often get caught on cords throughout the set, but she said the crew was helpful. During her second appearance in the show, Melanie’s character appeared on crutches to prove that she could walk — something she was not thrilled about.
“I did not want to do that,” she said, explaining that a few years before filming she suffered from a fall that made her hesitate about walking again. “I can remember saying, ‘This is somebody else’s dream.’ But they explained to me this was the premise of the episode.”
Melanie’s mother encouraged her to go through with the scene, which she did. In the end, Melanie was thankful to Norman Lear for taking the opportunity to show viewers another way of life.
“I’m proud of Norman for going against the norm and doing something,” she said. “I didn’t realize what a gift it was to be the first one out there. If I had to do it all over again I would have stayed in the business.”
After leaving Diff’rent Strokes, Melanie helped others living with disabilities. She was also the founder and executive at Train Rite, an organization that trains dogs to aid those with disabilities, per her IMDb profile.
IMDb also noted that Melanie was married to Robert Bernhardt from 1994 to 1996.
Melanie went on to seek public office in 2020, trying to earn a seat in the Colorado State Senate before her campaign had to be “brought to a screeching halt” due to “unforeseeable health conditions.”
“My campaign is not wealthy, but I am not running because I’m trying to get rich. I am running because I want to make change,” she wrote via Facebook at the time. “Change that will better and enrich the lives of those in this community, as well as in our state. Let’s do this!”
She wanted to run again in 2025. “Hello Everyone!” she wrote via Facebook in 2024. “I wanted to get right to work on my 2025 run! Time is wasting! My platform is set up and I’m ready for your thoughts and concerns.”
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