Monday on The Today Show, Diff’rent Strokes child star Todd Bridges, who played Willis of “Whatcha talkin’ about” fame, discussed with Meredith Viera the shocking contents of his new biography Killing Willis.
The book describes Bridges’ early life struggles including dealing with a physically and emotionally abusive father, and being introduced to marijuana and alcohol by co-star Dana Plato. He dated Plato the entire time Strokes was on the air.
He also had a difficult relationship with co-star Gary Coleman because Coleman’s parents disapproved of him being friends with anyone who was not white, even going to great lengths to hire bodyguards to keep the boys separated on the set and blacklisting Bridges from the Diff’rent Strokes finale episode. Bridges mentioned that he’s tried to reach out to Gary recently through a third party to try to help him with his anger issues, but hasn’t been able to break through.
Once Bridges work with Diff’rent Strokes was through, he became deeply addicted to cocaine, crack, and meth, and lost all his money in an accounting scam. Left with no funds to live on or fuel his addiction, he became a drug dealer, which brought him to the lowest point of his life, when he almost committed “suicide by cop.”
He was on a drug run for a girl when the cops pulled him over. He had a gun in the car, and because he had been feeling so worthless and down lately, thought for a minute to grab the gun and point it at the cop, so the police officer would kill him. Thankfully, he decided against that drastic option, and ended up spending some time in prison.
Despite his colorful, woe-filled past, Bridges is now 17-years sober and say he usually loves himself “six days a week.”
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