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Old 11-26-04, 12:34 PM
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'Cheers' Star Tries To Commit Suicide..



'CHEERS' STAR IN SHOCKING OVERDOSE

November 26, 2004 -- Bubbly blond "Cheers" star Shelley Long - depressed over the bust-up of her marriage - was rushed to the hospital after taking an overdose of painkillers in an apparent suicide bid.

The 55-year-old actress, who played ditzy waitress Diane Chambers on the classic TV sitcom, was taken to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles after the heartbreaking incident.

Long had been extremely depressed in recent months, was barely eating and often spent long periods of time in bed, said friends, speculating that she tried to kill herself. "It is very sad to see this woman, who is only 55, looking like she's turning 90," one pal told The Sun newspaper of London.

Another friend said, "For 18 months, she's been getting more and more depressed. It's like seeing someone falling off a cliff.

"She told some of her good friends she felt she had nothing to live for."

The incident took place Nov. 16, and hospital records show that Long was discharged Tuesday. Her mom, in a brief telephone interview, confirmed to The Post that her daughter is no longer in the hospital.

In a weird twist, Long once played a depressed woman committed to a hospital for depression in the 1979 TV movie "The Cracker Factory."

She's not the only "Cheers" cast member to have been felled by depression — Kelsey Grammer, too, has also had severe bouts with the blues.

Things got rough for the actress last year, when her securities-broker husband, Bruce Tyson, walked out after 22 years of marriage. They are now divorcing, and Long had to leave their Hollywood mansion when it was sold. She now lives alone.

She met Tyson on a blind date in 1979. They were wed two years later — it was her second marriage — and have a daughter, Juliana, 19.

The actress starred in several films since bolting "Cheers" in 1987, six years before it ended in 1993.

Among the flicks were 1995's "The Brady Bunch Movie," in which she played Carol Brady, and 2000's "Dr. T and the Women."

Many see her career as a classic example of what happens to some TV stars who give up popular roles to seek movie fame.

She never regained the popularity she enjoyed as the overeducated "Cheers" barmaid, who was a foil to bar owner Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson.

She's slated for a rare, pretaped guest appearance tonight in the ABC series "Complete Savages."

For "Cheers, " she won an Emmy and two Golden Globes.

Eddie Doyle, the real-life Ted Danson who's served drinks for 30 years at the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston, the bar on which Cheers was based, said:

"I'm just really surprised and hope she's going to be all right. I guess they say things like that happen around the holidays."
Old 11-26-04, 01:10 PM
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Sad news. I hope she gets better.
Old 11-26-04, 01:38 PM
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The subject had me surprised until I opened the thread and saw it was Shelley Long. I wonder why they interviewed the bartender They couldn't get a statement from the real Ted Danson?
Old 11-26-04, 01:42 PM
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Originally posted by Roto
The subject had me surprised until I opened the thread and saw it was Shelley Long. I wonder why they interviewed the bartender They couldn't get a statement from the real Ted Danson?
Yeah I reckon.
Old 11-26-04, 03:38 PM
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For a moment I got all panicked and thought it was George Wendt. Still, sad to see Shelley Duval tried to do herself in.
Old 11-26-04, 04:59 PM
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Sad to hear this.
Old 11-26-04, 07:18 PM
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I thought this would be about Kristie Alley.

It kills me when these stars get all depressed. And Kesley Grammar too. I will trade pay checks with either one of them and then we can see if I get depressed. They don't have to worry about paying their heating bill, or rent, or car payments. What do they have to get depressed about? They are washed up TV stars? That's on them. Other former TV stars embrace their state in life, such as Alan Hale and Dawn (the one who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.) They made money off their personas years after their show as off the air. God damn, life handed them a chance of a life time on a silver platter, they crap all over it, and then we are supposed to feel bad they are depressed?

Next story, please?
Old 11-26-04, 07:30 PM
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'Cheers' star home after hospital stay

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Cheers" alum Shelley Long was back home after being briefly hospitalized because she took a dose of medication to treat back pain and the drug made her ill, her manager said Friday.

"Shelley took an extra pain pill for her back, which she hurt when she fell on the set of 'Cheers' many years ago," Martin Mickelson told The Associated Press. "She had a reaction to it ... but she is now home and she is fine."

The actress, who played the prim and neurotic Diane Chambers on the hit 1980s sitcom, was treated overnight sometime within the last two weeks at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center, Mickelson said.

"She had a nice Thanksgiving," he added.

Mickelson denied published reports Friday that suggested Long, 55, had apparently taken an overdose of painkillers brought on by the breakup of her 22-year marriage to stockbroker Bruce Tyson.

The New York Post reported Long was hospitalized on Nov. 16 and released Tuesday.
Old 11-26-04, 08:09 PM
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Originally posted by calhoun07
I thought this would be about Kristie Alley.
Considering her new show Fat Actress, Kirstie Alley seems to have retained a sense of humor.









and a lot of water.
Old 11-26-04, 08:52 PM
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Originally posted by Roto
Considering her new show Fat Actress, Kirstie Alley seems to have retained a sense of humor.









and a lot of water.

She started losing the weight. Quitter....


Anyway, I hope Shelley gets better an moves on with her life.
Old 11-26-04, 10:01 PM
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Her performance on Complete Savages tonight might have put her over the edge.
Old 11-27-04, 04:26 AM
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Originally posted by calhoun07
I thought this would be about Kristie Alley.

It kills me when these stars get all depressed. And Kesley Grammar too. I will trade pay checks with either one of them and then we can see if I get depressed. They don't have to worry about paying their heating bill, or rent, or car payments. What do they have to get depressed about? They are washed up TV stars? That's on them. Other former TV stars embrace their state in life, such as Alan Hale and Dawn (the one who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.) They made money off their personas years after their show as off the air. God damn, life handed them a chance of a life time on a silver platter, they crap all over it, and then we are supposed to feel bad they are depressed?

Next story, please?
I think the TV stars of back then embraces life better than todays tV stars, for many of them do not see any residuals fromt heir old shows, they were not paid hundred of thousand of dollars for them, so they are still down to earth when compared with todays tv or movie stars who makes millions, but perhaps guilt, or fear of losing it all, crumbles their mental state perhaps?
Old 11-27-04, 04:35 AM
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Originally posted by calhoun07
I thought this would be about Kristie Alley.

It kills me when these stars get all depressed. And Kesley Grammar too. I will trade pay checks with either one of them and then we can see if I get depressed. They don't have to worry about paying their heating bill, or rent, or car payments. What do they have to get depressed about? They are washed up TV stars? That's on them. Other former TV stars embrace their state in life, such as Alan Hale and Dawn (the one who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.) They made money off their personas years after their show as off the air. God damn, life handed them a chance of a life time on a silver platter, they crap all over it, and then we are supposed to feel bad they are depressed?

Next story, please?

Plus you have to remember that these people have "artistic brains" and "artistic brains" need things like attention and admiration all the time. They're very insecure and often the "stuck up star" is in reality a scared child covering up with bravado and fake self love. Ever notice how many comics had a fucked up childhood? Ever wonder why so many stars do drugs and booze?

Their brains are wired differently.

Last edited by Giantrobo; 11-27-04 at 04:39 AM.
Old 11-27-04, 01:40 PM
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Don't forget that Kirstie Alley was a cokewhore before she ever became famous.
Old 11-27-04, 11:29 PM
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That's a shame. I hope she gets herself together.
Old 11-28-04, 04:38 PM
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Originally posted by calhoun07
I thought this would be about Kristie Alley.

It kills me when these stars get all depressed. And Kesley Grammar too. I will trade pay checks with either one of them and then we can see if I get depressed. They don't have to worry about paying their heating bill, or rent, or car payments. What do they have to get depressed about? They are washed up TV stars? That's on them. Other former TV stars embrace their state in life, such as Alan Hale and Dawn (the one who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.) They made money off their personas years after their show as off the air. God damn, life handed them a chance of a life time on a silver platter, they crap all over it, and then we are supposed to feel bad they are depressed?

Next story, please?
I find this type of viewpoint very heartless. I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with them being celebrities. Depression is often hereditary, or a real chemical imbalance which can be triggered by events. All the money or fame in the world can not overcome this, and anyone who thinks otherwise is lucky to have never experienced true depression.
Old 11-28-04, 07:10 PM
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You mean not having to worry about paying your bills doesn't equal total happiness?
Old 11-29-04, 01:31 AM
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Originally posted by LorenzoL
Sad news. I hope she gets better.
Amen.
Old 11-29-04, 01:56 AM
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I like how they have to say cheers star even though she wasn't on it til the end and the show has been off the air for 10+ years
has she done nothing else?
Old 11-29-04, 02:01 AM
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Originally posted by calhoun07
Other former TV stars embrace their state in life, such as Alan Hale and Dawn (the one who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.)
RIP Jonas Grumby.


(I thought this thread would be about Kirstie Alley too)
Old 11-29-04, 02:03 AM
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Very sad news. I hope she gets well soon also.

That said,
To paraphrase Jonh Lennon, I had to laugh while reading that story:
"Eddie Doyle, the real-life Ted Danson who's served drinks for 30 years at the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston, the bar on which Cheers was based, said.."
Ummm, the real-life Ted Danson is named "Ted Danson". He's an Emmy-winning actor married to Mary Steenburgen. I think they ment the real-life Sam Malone.
Old 11-29-04, 03:23 AM
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Originally posted by mikehunt
I like how they have to say cheers star even though she wasn't on it til the end and the show has been off the air for 10+ years
has she done nothing else?
Though she really hasn't done much since leaving Cheers, generally speaking, a person would be mentioned with their best-known project/role no matter how long ago that best-known project/role was.

If they had said "'Santa Trap' Star Attempts Suicide", people probably wouldn't read past the headline (if even that far) or clicked on this thread.
Old 11-29-04, 08:22 AM
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Re: 'Cheers' Star Tries To Commit Suicide..

Originally posted by Rogue588
The 55-year-old actress, who played ditzy waitress Diane Chambers on the classic TV sitcom, was taken to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles after the heartbreaking incident.

.....

She never regained the popularity she enjoyed as the overeducated "Cheers" barmaid, who was a foil to bar owner Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson.

.....


Eddie Doyle, the real-life Ted Danson who's served drinks for 30 years at the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston, the bar on which Cheers was based...
Who WROTE this article? A chimpanzee? Christ. Is she ditszy or brainy? Sam Malone or Ted Danson? Let's ask some schmoe bartender who probably doesn't even work at the Bull & Finch anymore (notice it says "served" and not "still serves drinks after 30 years"). Sounds like she just ended up in the hospital, and they paid someone to concoct a suicide sensationalist story to sell papers. Sad. Lame.
Old 11-29-04, 12:44 PM
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Originally posted by calhoun07
I thought this would be about Kristie Alley.

It kills me when these stars get all depressed. And Kesley Grammar too. I will trade pay checks with either one of them and then we can see if I get depressed. They don't have to worry about paying their heating bill, or rent, or car payments. What do they have to get depressed about? They are washed up TV stars? That's on them. Other former TV stars embrace their state in life, such as Alan Hale and Dawn (the one who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.) They made money off their personas years after their show as off the air. God damn, life handed them a chance of a life time on a silver platter, they crap all over it, and then we are supposed to feel bad they are depressed?

Next story, please?
I can say that depression is not about not being able to pay your heating bill. That comment shows that you really don't know anything about it. It's not being sad all the time. It's an actual chemical process in the brain that drags you down so low, things like this happen. I myself am not depressed, but I know people who are, and have learned that it's not something that they can just "get over".

You have equated money with happiness. Maybe that's how you see things, which I think is sad. I don't have a lot, but I have more than many. Would I be happier making millions? I doubt it. Sure, I'd have that pool table and the hot tub that we want, but it doesn't mean that I would be happier because of those things.

Do some homework, you might be amazed at what you find out about depression.

Get well Shelly!
Old 11-29-04, 12:54 PM
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I always thought that Ted Danson was the "real-life Ted Danson." Who knew?


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