As a longtime fan of “The Facts of Life,” I was deeply saddened to hear about the betrayal that allegedly occurred among the original cast members during their attempts to revive the beloved sitcom. The idea of seeing these iconic actresses reunite on screen was an exciting prospect, and it’s disappointing to learn that one of them reportedly went behind their backs to pursue a separate deal for herself.
Mentioning Mindy Cohn from “The Facts of Life,” she shares that a self-centered and covetous cast member hindered the possibility of reviving the cherished ’80s sitcom’s comeback.
A veteran actress, currently basking in the limelight due to her role on Emmy-nominated show “Palm Royale,” shared an intriguing tale about an alleged betrayal during a recent interview on SiriusXM’s “Jeff Lewis Live.” She brought up the topic casually while conversing with hosts Jeff Lewis, Michael Hitchcock, and Shane Douglas. Notably, they were discussing how “Palm Royale” was revived for one of the specials under Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel’s “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.”
“They did one of Diff’rent Strokes and Facts of Life and after that, Norman Lear, who is no longer with us, when he was still alive, he called all of us and said, ‘I knew you guys were still popular, but holy hell. The response from the live.’ And basically there was this round table with Octavia Spencer and Amy Poehler and Jennifer Aniston where they all said, “Yeah, our parents grew up with All in the Family, but we grew up with Facts of Life. That’s the Norman Lear sitcom that we love,’” Cohn recounted of the special that aired on Dec. 7, 2021. “And I think Norman didn’t really clock that. So when he did, he said, ‘Are you guys interested?’ And we had all never really talked about it, but we all started to consider it a little bit.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the original cast members of “The Facts of Life” reunited via Zoom for meetings. They brought on a writer and conferred with Lear, as shared by Cohn. This beloved series, produced by Dick Clair, Howard Leeds, and Jerry Mayer, aired from 1979 to 1988. It centered around Charlotte Rae’s character, Mrs. Edna Garrett, the housemother at the Eastland School, as she guided a group of teenage girls, including Cohn, Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, and Nancy McKeon, through life’s challenges.
Later on, Cohn shared with Lewis what had transpired, describing it as anything but pleasant. “There were some intense moments,” she explained, ready to reveal the details.
Cohn asserted that one of her co-stars acted deceitfully by pursuing an individual spinoff deal without consulting the group. This unfaithful act left the entire team feeling shattered, according to Cohn. “I’m merely pointing out, it was about a 40-year friendship and sisterhood, there was an overwhelming emotional response,” she added, prompting Hitchcock to retort, “There’s always someone who puts self-interest first.”
“Michael Hitchcock’s accusation was validated by Cohn with a comment: ‘You’re right, Michael. She’s greedy. I’ll go ahead and admit it.'”
As a gamer, I was excited about the possibility of a new installment in the series, but unfortunately, one of the actresses put a roadblock in its way. This led to a rift between us, and for a while, we didn’t communicate at all. But Cohn recently confirmed that things have started to improve slightly. “We weren’t on speaking terms for a bit, and now we sort of are, but it wasn’t an easy situation. It really hurt.”
Although the setback has resulted in irreversible damages and left some deep scars, Cohn expressed that the possibility of a reunion is almost extinct. He stated that a few individuals are unwilling or refuse to let go of the past, causing a significant rift among them. “We used to be a strong team for four decades, sticking together by not discussing each other’s business and avoiding any controversy. But this incident has shattered our unity, which is truly unfortunate.”
Cohn refused to disclose the name of the specific cast member. Instead, she hinted at a possible solution by recommending a look at her Instagram account, following Douglas’ advice to discover “which individuals she spends time with and which ones she avoids.”
We have contacted the representatives of Fields, McKeon, and Whelchel from The Hollywood Reporter, and we will provide an update if any of the actresses choose to address the allegations.
“Cohn merely declined to affirm or refute [the statement]. He found it unfortunate. Previously, during our coffee conversation, we discussed how some individuals are driven by extreme desire for either wealth or recognition to act in ways that I find astonishing. It continues to surprise me. Is this the price for money or fame? Such sacrifices of genuine friendships leave me bewildered.”
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2024-07-24 21:24