Melanie Watson Bernhardt — an actress recognized for her position on the hit TV present “Diff’hire Strokes” — has died … TMZ has realized.
Robert Watson — Melanie’s brother — tells us … Melanie handed away Friday in Colorado Springs.
We’re instructed Melanie — who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a illness the place an individual’s bones fracture simply — had been within the hospital after struggling some points with bleeding, the place she shortly deteriorated.
Robert says the docs did their finest to assist her … however, in actuality, she was lucky to dwell so long as she did together with her situation. he provides he’ll all the time consider his sister a terrific deal.
Followers of traditional sitcoms will bear in mind Melanie as Kathy Gordon on “Diff’hire Strokes” … an element she performed in 4 of the present’s 189 episodes.
A 1982 episode was memorably named after her character … through which she and Gary Coleman‘s character, Arnold, argued when he tried to persuade her to stroll with out crutches.
Bernhardt retired from performing after “Diff’hire Strokes” ended … later marrying a person named Roger Bernhardt from 1994 to 1996. She reportedly helped discovered the charity Prepare Ceremony to assist correctly prepare canine to work as service animals.
Melanie was 57.
RIP
