Diff'rent Strokes star Gary Coleman dead at 42



Dead at 42: Gary Coleman, pictured here last year, died today as the result of injuries suffered earlier this week



Diff'rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman died today as the result of injuries he suffered during a fall earlier this week. He was 42.

His wife, Shannon Price, 24, made the decision to switch off his life support machine this morning.

A spokeswoman for the Utah Valley Regional Medical Centre confirmed Coleman died at 12.05pm local time.



Family members and close friends were by his hospital bedside.



A spokesman for Coleman said: 'We are very sad to have to report Mr Gary Coleman has passed away.



'He was removed from life support; soon thereafter, he passed quickly and peacefully. By Gary’s bedside were his wife and other close family members.



'Thanks to everyone for their well wishing and support during this tragic time. Gary is now at peace and his memory will be kept in the hearts of those who were entertained by him throughout the years.'

Coleman was rushed to ICU on Wednesday afternoon after suffering what his family called 'a serious medical problem' after falling at home and hitting his head.

He later fell into a coma and was on life support after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

TMZ, the website which broke the news of Michael Jackson's death, was the first to report Coleman's death.

It was the actor's third hospitalisation this year, after suffering seizures in January and February.

The 4ft 8in star's growth was stunted by a congenital kidney defect and he had also had two kidney transplants.

Coleman played diminutive rascal Arnold Jackson and his famous line, 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis?', became a pop culture catchphrase.

But he was never able to recapture the stardom he enjoyed as a child and teenager. As an adult, he would appear on some programmes, but much of his work went straight to video.



Troubled star: Gary Coleman (top right) with Diff'rent Strokes co-stars Dana Plato, Conrad Bain and Todd Bridges

However, he was still often in the headlines in the U.S. - mostly for the wrong reasons.

In 2007, he was arrested after a 'heated discussion' with his wife. He was cited for misdemeanour disorderly conduct by Utah police.

Two years later in July 2009, he and Price were once again involved in a domestic dispute in which his wife was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.



His temper got him in trouble again earlier this year when he was arrested on domestic violence assault charges. This time he spent a night in jail.

Coleman lost most of his fortune in a protracted legal battle with his adoptive parents, who had control of his wealth until he was 18. By the end, he was left with just $200,000 (£140,000).

Heartbreaking decision: Coleman's wife Shannon made the decision to switch off his life support machine this morning

After menial jobs, including working as a security guard, he was forced to sell off his personal items - among them the bowling shoes he wore in Diff'rent Strokes, which went for $100. In 1999, he filed for bankruptcy.

Perhaps most bizarrely, he ran in California's 2003 governor election and came eighth.



The curse of Diff'rent Strokes is well documented.

Dana Plato, who played Kimberly Drummond, died in 1999 at the age of 35 from an overdose after a long battle with drug and alcohol addiction.

TV catchphrase: Coleman, who played Arnold Jackson, became famous for his line, 'What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?'

Todd Bridges, who played Willis Jackson, battled cocaine addiction for several years in his 20s.

Mug shot: The actor after he was arrested on a domestic assault charge in January



In 1988, he was arrested and tried for the attempted murder of Kenneth Tex Clay, a Los Angeles drug dealer, who, prosecutors argued, had been shot by Bridges while he was 'high'.



Bridges was eventually acquitted of all charges by a jury.



Bridges, now 44, claims to be clean from drugs and has become a Christian and speaks to young people about the dangers of narcotics.

Diff'rent Strokes revolved around a simple premise: the adoption by white millionaire Philip Drummond of two orphaned brothers from Harlem, and their enforced relationship with their new sister.

It ran for eight seasons between 1978 and 1986, racking up 189 episodes, attracting the kind of ratings enjoyed by Dallas, M*A*S*H and The Dukes Of Hazzard.



It turned Coleman into the highest paid actor on TV at the time, pulling in $100,000 each programme.

Famous faces: Coleman, once the highest paid actor on TV, with Nancy Reagan in 1983 and right, with the A-Team's Mr T that same year























