Todd Bridges claims Gary Coleman's dad tried to get him ‘fired' from ‘Diff'rent Strokes'
Todd Bridges recently appeared on 'The Patrick LabyorSheaux' podcast and opened up about the issues he had with his late co-star Gary Coleman's father, Willie Coleman, during 'Diff'rent Strokes.'
'The first three years, me and Gary were close,' Bridges, 60, said. 'Tight like brothers. Just like brothers.'
Advertisement
8 Todd Bridges attends the 2023 Power of Influence Awards in LaPlace, Louisiana.
Getty Images
'When his father came, everything changed,' the actor added. 'It wasn't a fun set to be on.'
Bridges explained, 'Gary's father tried to have me fired, because at 13 years old, Gary slapped me, and I slapped him back, and [he was] like, 'We've got to fire him. He slapped the star!''
Advertisement
8 Todd Bridges, Gary Coleman in 'Diff'rent Strokes.'
©Columbia Tristar/Courtesy Everett Collection
8 Conrad Bain, Charlotte Rae, Todd Bridges , Gary Coleman in 'Diff'rent Strokes.'
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
However, the producers of the beloved sitcom refused to axe Bridges.
'They were like, 'We can't fire him, Willie. We can't fire Willis. The show is about Willis and Arnold. We'd be done,'' Bridges recalled.
Advertisement
'Diff'rent Strokes,' which aired from 1978 to 1986, starred Bridges and Gary as two boys from Harlem who are taken in by a wealthy Park Avenue businessman and his daughter.
8 Todd Bridges, Gary Coleman in 'Diff'rent Strokes.'
Courtesy Everett Collection
'I knew, for me, I was okay,' Bridges said about his role on the show. 'Because Gary was the star, I was okay with that. But I got all the girls, so I didn't care. The audience was predominantly young girls. When I came out, they would lose it. So yeah, you can be the star.'
8 Gary Coleman at the 8th Annual Tribeca Film Festival in 2009.
WireImage
Advertisement
8 Todd Bridges at the 5th Annual TV Land Awards in 2007.
WireImage
Bridges noted that he and Gary — who died in 2010 — 'had a great relationship' until Willie got involved.
'Willie Coleman separated us for a few years. When the show ended, I didn't talk to Gary because I was having my own issues. Then he started having issues,' Bridges recalled.
However, the pair eventually reconnected and 'became very close again.'
8 Todd Bridges, Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman in 'Diff'rent Strokes.'
©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection
'Because now Gary didn't want anything to do with his parents because he knew what they were doing to him,' Bridges stated. 'And so we became very, very close.'
Gary was 42 when he died after suffering a brain hemorrhage on May 28, 2010.
8 Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges in 'Diff'rent Strokes.'
Courtesy Everett Collection
Advertisement
The child star was estranged from both of his parents before his death. They were accused of misusing Gary's money when he was a kid and tried to gain a conservatorship over Gary when he became an adult.
But in the 2024 Peacock documentary 'GARY,' his parents claimed that they always protected Gary's money.
When the doc came out, Bridges told PEOPLE that Gary's mom and dad were 'shady' and 'did not protect their kid in any way.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What time is ‘Bachelor in Paradise' on tonight? How to watch Episode 7, who's left and more
Bachelor in Paradise is back on the beach for Season 10 of the steamy summer Bachelor spinoff. After taking a break last year, the franchise's fun and flirty summer series has returned with some new twists. This time around, fan favorites from The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and the Golden Bachelor are all on the beach together. This season has also introduced new 'challenges' — including a hefty cash prize. Last week, everyone in paradise said goodbye to Leslie and Gary after Bailey and Jeremy won the power to decide which couple would go home. While Bailey seemed agonized over the decision, Jeremy seemed more focused on the $500,000 waiting for him at the end of the show. A new episode of Bachelor in Paradise airs tonight at 8 p.m.. Here's everything you need to know about how to keep up with the action on the beach in Costa Rica during Bachelor in Paradise this week. What time is Bachelor in Paradise on tonight? Tonight, Episode 7 of Bachelor in Paradise Season 10 will air at 8 p.m. New episodes are dropping weekly every Monday all summer long and will be available to stream on Hulu the day after they air. Where to watch live without cable: Can you watch Bachelor in Paradise online? Do you need ABC to watch Bachelor in Paradise live? Where is Bachelor in Paradise streaming? Don't worry, we've got you covered. While the decade-plus-old franchise may have been on the air long before people started cutting their cable cords, there are plenty of ways to watch the crossover Bachelor spinoff in 2025. To watch new episodes of Bachelor in Paradise live on Monday nights, you'll need access to ABC. You can tune into the network with the help of a digital antenna (in select areas) or with a live-TV streaming subscription such as DirecTV or Hulu's live-TV tier. If you don't mind waiting an extra day, you can stream new episodes of Bachelor in Paradise the morning after they air with Hulu's most basic, ad-supported tier — just stay away from spoilers! Season 10 cast: From and Alexe Godin (The Bachelor 29) Allyshia Gupta (The Bachelor 29) Alli Jo Hinkes (The Bachelor 29) Andrew Spencer (The Bachelorette 17 and Bachelor in Paradise 8) Bailey Brown (The Bachelor 29) Brian Autz (The Bachelorette 21) Dale Moss (The Bachelorette 16) Hakeem Moulton (The Bachelorette 21) Jill Chin (The Bachelor 26, Bachelor in Paradise 8) Jonathon Johnson (The Bachelorette 21) Jeremy Simon (The Bachelorette 21) Jess Edwards (The Bachelor 28) Justin Glaze (The Bachelorette 17 and Bachelor in Paradise 8) Kyle Howard (The Bachelorette 17) Lea Cayanan (After the Final Rose audience member) Lexi Young (The Bachelor 28) Parisa Shifteh (The Bachelor 29) Ricky Marinez (The Bachelorette 21) Susie Evans (The Bachelor 26) Sam McKinney (The Bachelorette 21) Sean McLaughlin (The Bachelorette 20, Bachelor in Paradise 9) Spencer Conley (The Bachelorette 21) Zoe McGrady (The Bachelor 29) From and April Kirkwood (The Golden Bachelor 1) Charles 'CK' King (Golden Bachelorette 1) Faith Martin (The Golden Bachelor 1) Gary Levingston (Golden Bachelorette 1) Jack Lencioni (Golden Bachelorette 1) Kim Buike (Golden Bachelorette 1) Keith Gordon (Golden Bachelorette 1) Kathy Swarts (The Golden Bachelor 1) Leslie Fhima (The Golden Bachelor 1) Natascha Hardee (The Golden Bachelor 1) Nancy Hulkower (The Golden Bachelor 1) Ralph 'RJ' Johnson (Golden Bachelorette 1) What is In past seasons, Bachelor in Paradise has gathered past competitors from both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and brought them to a beach house in, well, paradise — this year, said Eden is in Costa Rica. There, contestants are free to mingle and fall in love as they please. This season, contestants won't just be pulled from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, but also from the franchise's Golden spinoffs: The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette. More ways to watch Bachelor in Paradise:
New York Post
40 minutes ago
- New York Post
Jennifer Aniston makes rare comment about ‘love triangle' with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
It was the pitts. Jennifer Aniston hasn't publicly spoken much about her 'love triangle' with her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, and his now-ex wife, Angelina Jolie, but the 'Friends' star made some rare comments in a Vanity Fair profile published Monday. 'It was…such a vulnerable time,' she told the outlet. 'Journalism back then felt more like a form of a sport.' 14 Jennifer Aniston on the cover of Vanity Fair. Norman Jean Roy / Vanity Fair Aniston, 56, and Pitt, 61, were married from 2000 to 2005. Pitt met Angelina Jolie, 50, on the set of the 2005 movie 'Mr. and Mrs Smith.' The 'Fight Club' actor was with Jolie from 2005 to 2016 when she filed for divorce. Reflecting on the tabloid frenzy around her 'love triangle' with Pitt and Jolie, Aniston told VF, 'There's obviously some PTSD we all have, which is why these [interviews] scare me.' 14 Jennifer Aniston for Vanity Fair. Norman Jean Roy / Vanity Fair 14 Jennifer Aniston in her Vanity Fair photo shoot. Norman Jean Roy / Vanity Fair 14 Jennifer Aniston for Vanity Fair. Norman Jean Roy / Vanity Fair 'The Morning Show' actress added, 'How are they going to misinterpret my words or take something out of context? And one line nowadays …' For years after Pitt left Aniston for Jolie, speculation about Aniston's love life and desire to have kids or not was splashed in headlines. 'It was such juicy reading for people. If they didn't have their soap operas, they had their tabloids,' Aniston told VF. 14 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' premiere at Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2007. Getty Images 14 Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston at the 'Troy' premiere in 2004. SYLVAIN GABOURY / DMI She said, 'It's a shame that it had to happen, but it happened. And boy did I take it personally.' VF noted that Aniston refers to that period of time as 'the love triangle' years. The 'Along Came Polly' actress said that her advice to herself at the time was, 'Just pick yourself up by the bootstraps and keep on walking, girl.' 14 Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. WireImage 14 Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston at the premiere of 'Rock Star' in 2001 in Los Angeles. Getty Images Referring to her constant presence in the tabloids around 2005, Aniston shared, 'I didn't have a strong enough constitution to not get affected by it.' The 'Horrible Bosses' actress added, 'We're human beings, even though some people don't want to believe we are. They think, You signed up for it, so you take it. But we really didn't sign up for that.' Following Pitt, Aniston had high-profile relationships with John Mayer and Vince Vaughn, before her relationship with Justin Theroux. The pair were linked in 2011 and tied the knot in 2015. Aniston and Theroux revealed their split in 2018 and went through 'the most gentle' divorce. 14 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the 15th Annual AFI Awards Luncheon in Beverly Hills on January 9, 2015. Getty Images for AFI 14 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend the Inglourious Basterds Premiere held at the Palais Des Festivals during the 62nd International Cannes Film Festival on May 20th, 2009. Getty Images Pitt, meanwhile, married Jolie in 2014. The exes have three biological children, Shiloh, 19, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17, and three adopted children, Maddox, 24, Pax, 21, and Zahara, 20. In 2016, Jolie ended their marriage following an alleged altercation on a plane with their six children present. Pitt was investigated after the alleged incident and wasn't charged by authorities, but he is believed to be estranged from his kids. 14 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the screening of 'The Tree of Life' in 2011. Anadolu via Getty Images 14 Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux in 2017. Vince Flores/ After their split, Pitt and Jolie spent nearly a decade fighting over the custody of their children and the division of their assets. On Dec. 30, 2024, Jolie's lawyer confirmed that the former couple finally reached a settlement in their divorce, five years after they were declared legally single. Since 2022, Pitt has been romantically linked to Ines De Ramon. In recent years, Aniston has spoken more about her image in the media. 14 Ines de Ramon and Brad Pitt at the premiere of 'F1: The Movie' on June 23, 2025 in London, Apple TV+ In a 2021 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, she said, 'I used to take it all very personally — the pregnancy rumors and the whole 'Oh, she chose career over kids' assumption. It's like, 'You have no clue what's going with me personally, medically, why I can't … can I have kids?' They don't know anything, and it was really hurtful and just nasty.' In November 2022, Aniston got candid about her struggles with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and her infertility. In 2023, she said that Adam Sandler sends her flowers every Mother's Day. 14 Jennifer Aniston in a 2024 Instagram photo. jenniferaniston/Instagram Jason Bateman, who's Aniston's close friend, told Vanity Fair in Monday's story that the actress is like a 'co-mom' to his kids, Francesca, 18, and Maple, 13. The 'Arrested Development' actor said that Aniston is 'the first one to call or text about big dates in the girls' lives.' She's also friends with Gwyneth Paltrow, who dated Pitt from 1994 to 1997. When asked if they talk about their mutual ex, she said, 'Oh, of course. How can we not? We're girls.' Aniston has not written a memoir, but she told VF that she will publish one someday, when she has 'more' to share. Besides Pitt, the star also admitted that she and her 'Friends' co-stars 'mourned' Matthew Perry long before his death in 2023.
New York Post
40 minutes ago
- New York Post
Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband Brandon Blackstock's cause of death revealed
Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband Brandon Blackstock's cause of death has been revealed. Blackstock died at age 48 on Aug. 7 of melanoma, a form of skin cancer, Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis told PEOPLE on Monday. The manner of death was natural causes, Hollis confirmed. Advertisement Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson. Kevin Mazur Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock at the 2017 American Music Awards. Getty Images for dcp Advertisement 'Brandon Blackstock passed away peacefully at his home in Butte, Montana on August 7th under hospice care surrounded by his family,' Hollis told the outlet. This story is developing…
