Posted on 12/30/2025 11:17:48 AM PST by Morgana
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Melanie Watson, the actress who played Kathy Gordon in the sitcom "Diff’rent Strokes," has died. She was 57.
Her brother Robert said she was hospitalized before her death, according to Forbes.
TMZ reported Watson was born with osteogenesis imperfecta. It's a genetic bone disorder also known as brittle bone disease, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Watson starred in four episodes of "Diff’rent Strokes" between 1981 and 1984, according to IMDb.
Forbes reported her performance in the episodes was noted for its authentic representation of a young person with a disability when it wasn't common.
Watson was married to Robert Bernhardt from 1994 until their divorce in 1996, according to her IMDb. She also founded an organization, Train Rite, to train shelter dogs to be service dogs for people with disabilities.
She also carried the Olympic torch in 1996 through Los Angeles alongside her canine companion Romer. She helped relay the Olympic flame after being chosen as a "community hero" by her hometown residents in Duarte, California, according to the Associated Press.
Watson's brother said she was in the hospital due to a bleeding issue and later died in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
(Excerpt) Read more at kare11.com ...
RIP Melanie
Two years? That's barely enough time to learn you don't like someone, much less decide on a divorce.
We’ve lost too many people from this show way too soon. I thank the Lord every day that Todd Bridges is still with us.
Renee Zellweger has entered the chat.
whatchoo talkin about willis?
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