Warning: This article talks about a possible suicide. Please read carefully and take care of yourself.
Dana Plato was born on November 7, 1964, in Maywood, California. She was an actress best known for playing Kimberly Drummond, a caring character, on the popular TV show Diff’rent Strokes, which ran from 1978 to 1986. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she became a teen idol.
Aside from Diff’rent Strokes, Dana appeared in many other TV shows and movies. According to IMDb, some of her TV appearances included The Six Million Dollar Man (1975), Family (1976), What Really Happened to the Class of ’65? (1978), Hello, Larry (three episodes), The Facts of Life (1979), CHiPs (1979 and 1980), High School U.S.A. (1983), The Love Boat (1974), and Growing Pains (1985).
Dana Plato appeared in several movies, including Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), Return to Boggy Creek (1977), California Suite (1978), and Prime Suspect (1989), along with some smaller, less known films.
Sadly, Dana passed away on May 8, 1999, in Moore, Oklahoma, at just 34 years old. People wonder what led to such a heartbreaking and early end to her life.
How did Dana Plato die?
According to her IMDb bio and other sources, Dana Plato’s death at first seemed to be an accidental overdose of the painkiller “Loritab.” But 13 days later, on May 21, 1999, a coroner ruled her death a suicide because of the large amount of drugs in her system and her past attempts to take her own life. Some of her friends and people who knew her disagreed with this ruling.
On the day Dana Plato died, she had just done an interview with Howard Stern, hoping it would help restart her career. She and her fiancé, Robert Menchaca, who was also her manager, were on their way back to California in their motor home. They stopped at Menchaca’s parents’ house in Moore, Oklahoma, for a Mother’s Day weekend visit. Dana wasn’t feeling well, so she took some Lortab (a painkiller) and a muscle relaxer, then went to take a nap with her fiancé. When he woke up, he found her unresponsive next to him.
Dana Plato had been dealing with substance abuse for many years before her death. Her difficulties were often linked to the fact that she struggled to find more acting roles after Diff’rent Strokes ended.
We hope she has found peace now.
If you or someone you know is going through a tough time or is in crisis, help is available. You can call or text 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. For international crisis resources, check the link provided.
Woman Helps Single Dad at Store, Sees Bracelet She Buried with Her Child on His Daughter – STORY OF THE DAY
Woman Helps Single Dad at Store, Sees Bracelet She Buried with Her Child on His Daughter
Linette’s routine trip to the grocery store took a shocking turn when she saw a young girl wearing a silver bracelet she had buried with her daughter five years ago. The discovery unearthed painful memories and led Linette to confront a dark chapter of her past.
While helping a struggling father in the cereal aisle, Linette noticed the bracelet on his daughter’s wrist. Her heart stopped as she recognized it immediately. “It was the same bracelet I had buried with Emily,” Linette realized in disbelief.
Haunted by the sight, Linette uncovered a scandal involving the funeral home director, Harold Simmons, who had been fired for mishandling services and allegedly selling funeral mementos, including her daughter’s bracelet.
Determined to seek justice, Linette reached out to Bob Daniels, the father she met in the grocery store. He was sympathetic, apologizing for what she had gone through and offering to help. “It wasn’t just about the bracelet but about seeking justice for the betrayal of trust,” Bob explained.
Together, they built a case against the funeral home. The court ruled in their favor, bringing Linette a sense of peace. In the end, what started as a painful discovery became a path to healing and a new beginning, with Linette finding hope in the bond she formed with Bob and his daughter, Emma.
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