Former Child Actor Gary Coleman Dies from Brain Hemorrhage, Death Under Investigation, His Parents Want Answers (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on May 29, 2010
1989 sitcom 'Diff'rent Strokes' -- child actor Gary Coleman is in the foreground -- Coleman died yesterday from a brain hemorrhage. He was only 42 years old.
Yesterday, having been hospitalized the day before from a non-specific accident in his Utah home, former child actor Gary Coleman died from a brain hemorrhage. He was only 42 years old.
His parents are now wanting answers.
From People, Gary Coleman’s Heartbroken Parents Want Answers About His Death:
In the last 10 years, the only way Sue and Willie Coleman kept up with their estranged son’s life was through headlines: his marriage, his legal problems, and finally, his hospitalization and removal from life support on Friday.
“We would’ve loved to have been there by his side at the hospital, to let him know we love him before he passed away,” Sue Coleman, 67, tells PEOPLE. “This is a shock to us. We loved Gary very much. We’re going to miss him.”
Janet Frank, a spokeswoman for Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, would only say that an “accident” occurred in the actor’s Santaquin, Utah, home on Wednesday evening, and that Coleman had suffered an intracranial hemorrhage.
She declined to give details, citing the wishes of Gary’s wife, Shannon Price, 24, and her family. The official cause of death is still under investigation, Frank says.
“We’re not pointing fingers at anyone, but we need to know exactly what happened” says Sue, a longtime nurse who lives with her husband, Willie, 71, a retired forklift driver, in suburban Illinois. “We’re not angry. We’re just concerned. Did our son fall down the stairs? Did he fall in the bathtub? We need to have some closure on our son’s life.”
Coleman and his wife had a stormy past – Coleman pleaded guilty to domestic violence in February – but Santaquin Police Chief Dennis Howard tells PEOPLE, “There was absolutely nothing suspicious about [Coleman's] death. There is no [criminal] investigation going on.”
Actor Gary Coleman Dies
No Details on Accident Prior to Gary Coleman’s Death
From Radar Online: BREAKING NEWS: Gary Coleman Dead At 42:
Coleman had been hospitalized in Provo, Utah since Wednesday, May 26, after suffering what his family called “a serious medical problem.”
He was pulled of life support Friday morning and later passed away. His wife Shannon Price and her father were at the hospital Friday.
The Illinois native’s death marks the end of a long, sad road for the diminutive Diff’rent Strokes star, who struggled professionally and financially as his fame and fortune diminished since the show went off the air in 1986.
From USA Today:
For a while, it seemed that Gary Coleman’s cherubic face was everywhere, from TV to T-shirts to lunchboxes.
[...]
Coleman’s pudgy cheeks and flawless comic timing made him the break-out star of the popular series, which ran from 1978-86.
His signature line, “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” became a national catchphrase.
But Coleman’s bright beginnings were overshadowed by domestic disputes, legal troubles and health issues. Coleman was born with a congenital kidney disease that resulted in his small stature. He had two kidney transplants and required frequent dialysis.
From Another Black Conservative, Rest In Peace: Gary Coleman dies at age 42:
I really feel sorry for the way Gary Coleman’s life turned out. No one helps the young star prepare for the fate dished out by our disposable culture. Unless you are a master of reinventing yourself, obscurity awaits. Coleman’s parents and managers clearly let him down in this regard. Given Coleman’s success during the 1980’s he should have been set for life. Instead, poor Coleman’s adult life turned out to be a long list of woes.
For all the laughs and good cheer Gary Coleman gave us in his early years, I hope he get his rewards in heaven. Rest in peace Gary.
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