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Narrator: GARY COLEMAN,
THE CHILD STAR OF TV'S "DIFF'RENT STROKES,"
DIES IN 2010,
AND THE DARKEST SECRETS OF HIS LIFE ARE REVEALED.
Malcolm: GARY WAS NOT, I DON'T THINK, A VERY HAPPY CHILD,
AND HE WASN'T ALLOWED, REALLY, TO BE A CHILD.
Mial: HE WAS EXTREMELY SELF-LOATHING.
HE DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIMSELF.
HE FELT, AT SOME POINT, THAT HE BECAME GOD'S PUNCHING BAG.
Narrator: HE IS JUST A LATEST VICTIM OF A CURSE
THAT HAS ALREADY TOUCHED TWO OF HIS FORMER COSTARS...
Acham: HERE ARE CHILD STARS WHO WERE SORT OF UNSUPERVISED.
AND WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT
THE IMPACT OF LIVING A HOLLYWOOD LIFESTYLE.
Narrator: ...AND THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO GARY'S DEATH
RAISE ALL SORTS OF QUESTIONS.
Jeffs: THE SANTAQUIN POLICE
HAD AN OPEN FILE FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME
BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF HIS DEATH.
Mial: HE WAS IN FEAR OF HIS LIFE --
SIMPLY IN FEAR FOR HIS LIFE,
HIS PHYSICAL SAFETY.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Narrator: MAY 26, 2010.
FORMER CHILD STAR GARY COLEMAN
PLUNGES DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS IN HIS SANTAQUIN, UTAH HOME.
IN THE CENTER OF THE HOUSE,
THERE WAS A STAIRWELL THAT WENT UP TO THE BEDROOM AREA.
THE LAST FLIGHT OF STAIRS
BEFORE YOU REACH THE BOTTOM OF WHERE THE KITCHEN FLOOR WAS,
WAS APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO EIGHT FEET.
Narrator: GARY'S WIFE, SHANNON, IS STARTLED BY THE SOUND.
UPON FINDING GARY, SHE DIALS 911.
Meyers: SHE SAID HER HUSBAND FELL DOWN THE STAIRS
AND HE WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS, BLEEDING.
AND THE DISPATCHER WAS TRYING TO TELL SHANNON
TO GO TO HER HUSBAND'S AID,
YOU KNOW, PUT SOMETHING ON THE WOUND TO KEEP IT --
YOU KNOW, TO CONTROL THE BLEEDING
AND KEEP HIM STILL UNTIL HELP ARRIVED.
Narrator: BUT SHANNON IS INITIALLY TOO SQUEAMISH TO FOLLOW THROUGH.
Meyers: SHE SAID THE SIGHT OF BLOOD
WOULD MAKE HER HAVE A SEIZURE,
SO SHE COULDN'T GO ANYWHERE NEAR THAT.
Narrator: SHANNON, WHO HAS A HISTORY OF SEIZURES,
IS AT LEAST ABLE TO GIVE GARY A TOWEL TO HELP STOP THE BLEEDING.
GARY IS RUSHED TO HOSPITAL.
FOR NOW, THERE IS STILL HOPE.
Jeffs: HE WAS ACTUALLY CONSCIOUS
AND TALKING TO THE EMERGENCY PERSONNEL
DURING HIS TRANSFER TO THE HOSPITAL.
Narrator: GARY'S FALL MAKES NATIONAL NEWS.
HE SHOWS PROGRESS THE NEXT MORNING,
BUT ON MAY 27th, HE LAPSES INTO A COMA.
WITH GARY'S CHANCES OF RECOVERY FADING FAST,
DOCTORS OFFER SHANNON THE OPTION OF DISCONTINUING LIFE SUPPORT.
GARY'S FRIENDS AND FAMILY
ARE DESPERATE TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
Mial: I SAID TO HER, "I NEED THE NAME OF THE HOSPITAL
BECAUSE I NEED TO GET TO UTAH IMMEDIATELY.
I'M GOING TO GET ON A PLANE."
SHE SAYS, "NO, DON'T DO THAT. DON'T DO THAT.
THAT'S JUST NOT NECESSARY. YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO GO."
AND THE NEXT THING I HEARD WAS A DIAL TONE.
Narrator: GARY HAS BEEN ESTRANGED FROM HIS PARENTS,
WILLIE AND SUE, FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
Perillo: SUE COLEMAN COULD NOT GET IN TOUCH WITH HIS WIFE
TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON,
AND SHE CALLED THE SHERIFF IN UTAH
TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND ASK THE WIFE TO CALL HER.
Narrator: BUT SUE WAS TOO LATE.
SHANNON AUTHORIZES HOSPITAL STAFF TO TERMINATE LIFE SUPPORT.
ONLY AFTER THAT, DOES SHE LEAVE MESSAGES WITH THE COLEMANS
AND WITH GARY'S FRIEND DION.
Mial: I WAS DRIVING,
AND I RECEIVED A TEXT FROM SHANNON
THAT SIMPLY SAID,
"I DID IT. HE'S GONE."
Narrator: GARY COLEMAN, AGE 42,
DIES AT 12:05 P.M. ON MAY 28, 2010
FROM AN INTRACRANIAL BRAIN HEMORRHAGE.
THE WORLD HAS LOST A TRUE ORIGINAL.
Kester: HE'S JUST AN INTERESTING GUY, KIND OF SAD SOMETIMES,
AND AT OTHER TIMES, REAL HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
AND, YOU KNOW, WOULD GO BACK AND FORTH
DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Mial: ONE OF THE MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE I'D EVER SEEN.
ENERGY, INTELLIGENCE, VIBRANCE --
I SHOULD SAY BOUNDLESS ENERGY.
Narrator: IN 1978, GARY'S TV SHOW, "DIFF'RENT STROKES,"
TURNS THE DIMINUTIVE ACTOR INTO A STAR ALL BEFORE THE AGE OF 11.
YOU WENT HOME ON FRIDAY NIGHTS,
AND YOU COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE GARY COLEMAN
BECAUSE HE JUST BROUGHT JOY TO EVERYBODY.
Acham: IN THE 1970s, GARY COLEMAN WAS IT.
YOU KNOW, HE HAD THE CHARM AND THE AFFABILITY.
AND I THINK, AGAIN, THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE
AFRICAN AMERICANS THAT COULD EASILY
COME INTO YOUR LIVING ROOM AND BECOME PART OF YOUR FAMILY
AND, IN A SENSE, THAT WE'RE NOT THREATENING WHATSOEVER,
I THINK, HAD A HUGE APPEAL TO AN AMERICAN AUDIENCE.
Narrator: 2010.
AS GARY'S PARENTS SEEK CUSTODY OF THEIR SON'S BODY,
THREE SEPARATE PEOPLE COME FORWARD WITH DOCUMENTS
NAMING THEM AS GARY'S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE.
THE FATE OF THE ACTOR'S ESTATE IS ANYTHING BUT CLEAR.
THE POSSIBLE CONTENDERS WERE DION MIAL,
WHO HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE,
OR EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE,
IN AN EARLY WILL BY MR. COLEMAN BACK IN THE '90s...
ANNA GRAY, WHO WAS IDENTIFIED SIMILARLY IN A LATER WILL
AS EITHER THE EXECUTOR OR PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE...
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE WAS SHANNON PRICE,
WHO WAS CLAIMING THAT SHE WAS
THE COMMON-LAW SPOUSE OF MR. COLEMAN
AND WOULD POTENTIALLY HAVE PRIORITY.
Narrator: SHANNON AND HER LAWYER
HAVE GARY'S HANDWRITTEN CODICIL, OR AMENDMENT,
TO ANOTHER WILL FROM 2005 TO BACK UP THEIR CLAIM.
Bradford: THE CODICIL DID NOT REVOKE ANY PERVIOUS WILL.
IT'S LIKE AN AMENDMENT.
IT WOULD HAVE CHANGED
WHATEVER THE CURRENT WILL OUT THERE WOULD BE.
Narrator: THREE DAYS LATER, ANNA GRAY, A FRIEND OF GARY'S,
FILES AN ORIGINAL WILL FROM 2005,
NAMING HER AS THE LATE ACTOR'S EXECUTOR.
SUCH CONTRADICTORY PLANNING
IS AN OVERSIGHT THAT WAS TYPICAL OF GARY.
THAT'S SIMPLY CHARACTERISTIC
OF THE LOOSE ENDS THAT GARY WOULD LEAVE IN HIS BUSINESS
LEFT TO HIS OWN DEVICES.
Narrator: RIGHT AWAY, SOME BEGIN TO QUESTION THE TRUE MOTIVES
OF THOSE FIGHTING OVER THE LATE ACTOR'S ESTATE...
VERY INTERESTING WHAT HAPPENED IN UTAH, YOU KNOW?
THEY ALL COME RUNNING OUT THERE TO CLAIM --
"THE TRAIN SETS BELONG TO ME, THIS BELONGS TO ME.
I WAS IN THE WILL."
"NO, I WAS IN THE WILL."
Narrator: ...WHILE OTHERS ARE IMMEDIATELY SUSPICIOUS
OF SHANNON'S STORY.
Mial: SHE PROVIDED ME WITH THE STORY
THAT SHE HAS PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC
AND TO THE AUTHORITIES MANY TIMES
THAT, SOMEHOW, HE SLIPPED AND HIT HIS HEAD ALL BY HIMSELF.
Narrator: THE BATTLE OVER GARY'S ESTATE PITS GARY'S FRIENDS
AND FAMILY MEMBERS AGAINST EACH OTHER.
THERE WAS NO WAY -- NO WAY THAT I WAS GOING TO REST
AND ALLOW SOMETHING THAT BOGUS TO ACTUALLY PREVAIL.
Acham: EVERYONE WAS SORT OF SUSPICIOUS AT THAT POINT IN TIME
AS TO WHO SHE WAS, "HOW WAS SHE ABLE TO DO THIS,"
YOU KNOW, "WAS IT LEGAL FOR HER TO DO IT?"
Narrator: IN 2010, CHILD ACTOR GARY COLEMAN
DIES FROM A BRAIN HEMORRHAGE
AND LEAVES BEHIND A MESSY PAPER TRAIL
NAMING THREE SEPARATE EXECUTORS.
IT'S JUST THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT
IN A LIFE PLAGUED WITH COMPLICATIONS.
GARY WAYNE COLEMAN
IS BORN ON FEBRUARY 8, 1968 IN ZION, ILLINOIS.
HE'S ADOPTED AS AN INFANT BY WILLIE AND SUE COLEMAN
AND DIAGNOSED WITH NEPHRITIS,
A POTENTIALLY FATAL KIDNEY CONDITION.
YOUNG GARY UNDERGOES HIS FIRST KIDNEY TRANSPLANT
AT THE AGE OF FIVE.
THE OPERATION'S A SUCCESS,
BUT BECAUSE OF THE MANY PILLS HE POPS EACH DAY,
DOCTORS EXPLAIN THAT HE WILL NEVER TOP FIVE FEET.
Mial: AS A RESULT OF HAVING THE TRANSPLANT,
IT WAS NECESSARY FOR HIM TO TAKE IMMUNOSUPPRESSANT DRUGS,
WHICH STUNTED HIS GROWTH
AND BROUGHT ABOUT THIS FULLNESS IN HIS FACE AND CHEEKS.
Narrator: THE AMBITIOUS YOUNGSTER DOESN'T LET THAT DETER HIM.
HE WANTS TO BECOME AN ACTOR.
THE NORMAN LEAR ORGANIZATION WAS LOOKING FOR A LITTLE GIRL
TO PLAY IN THE REMAKE OF THE "OUR GANG" COMEDIES.
AND I INSISTED THAT THEY MEET HIM
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A LITTLE GIRL, AND THEY DID.
Narrator: GARY GETS THE GIG.
ALTHOUGH THE REINCARNATION OF "THE LITTLE RASCALS"
DIES A QUICK DEATH,
THE SHOW'S PRODUCER, NORMAN LEAR,
IS EAGER TO FIND THE RIGHT VEHICLE FOR THE YOUNG ACTOR.
HE FINDS IT IN A NEW SERIES CALLED "DIFF'RENT STROKES."
NORMALLY, AS YOU KNOW, SHOWS HAVE TO PILOTED,
BUT THEY MERELY TOOK GARY AND CONRAD BAIN
AND WENT INTO THE OFFICE AT NBC
AND THEY DID A SCENE AND THAT WAS IT.
THERE WAS NEVER A PILOT ON THAT SHOW.
Narrator: THE NETWORK GREEN-LIGHTS THE SHOW,
AND GARY LANDS HIS FIRST REGULAR PAYCHECK AT AGE 10.
HE HAS TO MOVE TO LOS ANGELES, WHERE THE SHOW IS PRODUCED.
GARY'S PARENTS, WHO ARE NOT INDUSTRY PEOPLE,
DROP EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW THEIR SON.
Perillo: GARY SAID, "I WANT BOTH MY PARENTS WITH ME"
BECAUSE THE SHOW WAS GIVEN AN EIGHT-YEAR CONTRACT RUN,
YOU KNOW, AND THEY GAVE UP THEIR JOBS TO COME OUT TO BE WITH HIM.
Narrator: WORK ON "DIFF'RENT STROKES"
BEGINS IN 1978.
TODD BRIDGES COSTARS AS GARY'S BROTHER, WILLIS,
AND DANA PLATO PLAYS HIS ADOPTED SISTER, KIMBERLY.
THE SHOW PREMIERES ON NOVEMBER 3, 1978.
CHARISMATIC GARY COLEMAN
TURNS NBC'S SAGGING FRIDAY-NIGHT RATINGS
INTO PRIME-TIME GOLD
AS THE PRECOCIOUS, NEWLY-ORPHANED ARNOLD JACKSON.
Perillo: I REMEMBER AFTER THE FIRST EPISODE OF "DIFF'RENT STROKES,"
ON THE SET, GOING OVER TO HIM AND SAYING,
"GARY, HOW DO YOU DO THIS THING -- THIS ACTING?
HOW DO YOU DO IT?"
HE SAID, "LOOK, WHEN THE DIRECTOR
"TELLS ME TO LAUGH, I LAUGH.
"WHEN HE TELLS ME TO CRY, I CRY,
"AND I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
LET'S GO, YOU KNOW, PLAY WITH THE TRAINS."
HE WAS A GIFT TO ALL OF US.
Narrator: DION RECALLS MEETING GARY COLEMAN
DURING "DIFF'RENT STROKES'" FIRST SEASON.
MY MOTHER WAS THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR ALL THE STUDIO TEACHERS
THAT WORKED WITH THE CHILD ACTORS IN THE BUSINESS.
AND WE WENT DOWN TO VISIT ONE OF THE TEACHERS ON SET
AND SHE SAID, "I THINK YOU REALLY NEED TO MEET THIS NEW KID
NAMED GARY COLEMAN."
AND THAT WAS THE NIGHT THAT WE ACTUALLY MET.
Perillo: AND THEY BECAME VERY GOOD FRIENDS.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT HE HAD LEGITIMATE CARE FOR HIM.
Narrator: BY "DIFF'RENT STROKES'" SECOND SEASON,
SMART-MOUTHED, CHUBBY-CHEEKED GARY
IS THE SHOW'S POSTER BOY.
Mial: AT THAT TIME, HIS LIFE HAD CHANGED.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, EVERYONE'S LIFE AROUND HIM,
MEANING INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE HANDLING HIM --
HE WATCHED THEIR LIVES CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY, AS WELL.
PEOPLE WENT FROM DRIVING CHEVYS AND TOYOTAS
TO DRIVING MERCEDES AND ROLLS-ROYCES.
HE WAS KEENLY AWARE OF THAT.
Narrator: BUT GARY GROWS WEARY OF SIGNING ON TO EACH SUBSEQUENT SEASON,
CITING HIS FAILING KIDNEY
AND INCREASING FATIGUE AS MAJOR ISSUES.
DESPITE THE CONFINES OF EXISTING CHILD-LABOR LAWS,
IT WAS EXTREMELY TAXING ON GARY,
PARTICULARLY ONCE HE LOST THE VERY FIRST TRANSPLANTED KIDNEY.
IT WAS OPPRESSIVELY BRUTAL
ON HIS BODY AND HIS MIND AND SPIRIT.
Malcolm: THE PARENTS KEPT ON SAYING, "NO, NO, NO, LET'S DO THIS.
WE'LL FINISH THIS SEASON, AND IT'LL BE OVER,"
AND THEN NEXT SEASON CAME.
SO GARY WAS NOT, I DON'T THINK, A VERY HAPPY CHILD,
AND HE WASN'T ALLOWED, REALLY, TO BE A CHILD.
Mial: HE KNEW THAT BASED UPON THE LAW OF AVERAGES
THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO LIVE AS LONG AS A HEALTHY PERSON,
MEANING SOMEONE WHO DID NOT HAVE END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE.
SO HE KNEW THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO MAXIMIZE
NOT SO MUCH THE QUANTITY OF HIS LIFE,
BUT THE QUALITY OF HIS LIFE.
AND WITHOUT QUESTION, HE BEGAN TO REALIZE
THAT THE QUALITY OF HIS LIFE
WAS BEING SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISED.
Narrator: NOT EVERYONE AGREES.
HE NEVER WORKED WHEN THE DOCTORS SAID HE CAN'T WORK.
THEY DIDN'T MAKE HIM DO ANYTHING.
Mial: GARY WAS ABSOLUTELY READY
TO QUIT WITH "DIFF'RENT STROKES" AT THE TOP OF SEASON FOUR.
Narrator: AS THE YEARS PASS,
GARY BECOMES THE SHOW'S MAIN FOCUS
WHILE OTHER CAST MEMBERS ARE RELEGATED TO THE BACKGROUND.
YOU KNOW, UNQUESTIONABLY, GARY WAS THE STAR OF THE SHOW.
EVERYONE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT GARY WAS THE MEAL TICKET.
Narrator: NBC PAYS GARY A REPORTED $100,000 PER EPISODE,
MAKING HIM
ONE OF THE HIGHEST-PAID PERFORMERS ON TELEVISION.
Perillo: THEY WERE MAKING MONEY FROM HIM,
AND IT WAS TIME FOR US TO SAY,
"LET'S GET HIS SALARY UP TO THE EQUITABLE AMOUNT."
Narrator: GARY UNDERGOES HIS SECOND KIDNEY TRANSPLANT
DURING THE SHOW'S FIFTH SEASON.
Mial: HE WAS TRANSPLANTED WITH ANOTHER KIDNEY THAT HE LOST,
THAT HE ONLY KEPT FOR 13 MONTHS.
Narrator: FROM THIS MOMENT ON,
GARY MUST UNDERGO REGULAR DIALYSIS TREATMENTS
IN WHICH BLOOD IS PUMPED OUT OF HIS BODY,
CLEANSED, AND THEN RETURNED.
Perillo: HE WOULD DO EPISODES OF "DIFF'RENT STROKES,"
AND HE WOULD HAVE TO DO THIS RITUAL, SO TO SPEAK --
WAS A PROCESS THAT HIS MOTHER WOULD DO FOR HIM
AND CERTAIN PEOPLE WOULD DO FOR HIM.
Narrator: "DIFF'RENT STROKES" ENDS ITS RUN IN 1986,
AFTER EIGHT SEASONS ON THE AIR.
AND WITH MONEY IN THE BANK,
GARY COLEMAN COULDN'T BE HAPPIER.
Mial: AND AT THAT POINT,
NOT ONLY DID HE NOT CARE TO DO ANOTHER TELEVISION SERIES,
HE DIDN'T CARE TO BE INVOLVED IN SHOW BUSINESS AT ALL.
Narrator: BUT HE'S IN FOR QUITE A SURPRISE.
HE HAS NO MONEY, AND HE BLAMES HIS PARENTS.
Mial: THEY WERE THE ENEMY.
THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM AS HIS PARENTS HAD PASSED.
Perillo: HIS AGENDA WAS TO TELL HIM
THAT EVERYBODY SURROUNDING HIM WAS A CROOK,
INCLUDING ME.
Narrator: ACTOR GARY COLEMAN WAS BORN WITH
MORE THAN ENOUGH CHARISMA TO MAKE UP FOR HIS AILING KIDNEYS,
BUT HIS GLORY DAYS AS ARNOLD JACKSON
ON TV'S "DIFF'RENT STROKES" ARE A DISTANT MEMORY
WHEN HE DIES OF A BRAIN HEMORRHAGE IN 2010.
UTAH LITIGATOR ROBERT JEFFS
IS APPOINTED TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATOR OF GARY'S ESTATE
AND TRIES TO MAKE SENSE OF GARY'S VARIOUS WILLS,
BUT ONE THING IS CLEAR.
Jeffs: ALL OF HIS WILLS OR WRITINGS
HAD IDENTIFIED THAT HE DID WANT TO BE CREMATED,
BUT THE COURT WAS RELUCTANT TO HAVE THAT GO FORWARD
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE COMPETING CLAIMANTS.
SO, MY APPOINTMENT INCLUDED
THE DECISION AS TO HOW TO HAVE THE BODY CREMATED.
Narrator: THE COURT ORDERS THAT GARY'S BODY BE CREMATED
BY JUNE 18, 2010.
Jeffs: WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE MORTUARY,
I WAS ABLE TO HAVE THEM
TRANSFER HIS BODY TO THE CREMATORIUM AFTER HOURS,
USING A VAN RATHER THAN THE NORMAL HEARSE,
SO THAT WE WOULDN'T DRAW ANY ATTENTION FROM THE MEDIA
AND IT COULD BE THE PRIVATE CEREMONY
THAT MR. COLEMAN WANTED TO HAVE.
Narrator: THE CREMATION MAY HAVE BEEN PRIVATE,
BUT GARY HAS LIVED HIS ENTIRE LIFE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
WHETHER HE WANTED TO OR NOT.
"DIFF'RENT STROKES" AIRS ITS LAST EPISODE ON MARCH 7, 1986.
BY NOW, GARY COLEMAN HAS SPENT NEARLY HALF OF HIS LIFE
AS ARNOLD JACKSON.
HE'S READY TO MOVE ON.
Mial: AT AGE 18,
"DIFF'RENT STROKES" WAS CANCELLED.
GARY COULDN'T HAVE BEEN HAPPIER.
HE FELT COMPLETELY LIBERATED, COMPLETELY FREE,
AND AT THAT POINT,
NOT ONLY DID HE NOT CARE TO DO ANOTHER TELEVISION SERIES,
HE DIDN'T CARE TO BE INVOLVED IN SHOW BUSINESS AT ALL.
HIS DECISION WAS TO RETIRE.
Narrator: THE DECISION SHOCKS GARY'S PARENTS AND ADVISORS.
AGENT VIC PERILLO
HAS THREE PROJECTS LINED UP FOR HIS CLIENT.
GARY, WHO NEEDS TIME TO REST, TURNS EACH ONE OF THEM DOWN.
HE HAD ONE THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO PILOT.
HE HAD ONE THAT I DEVELOPED FOR HIM
THAT WAS IN PRE-PRODUCTION -- PRE-PRODUCTION,
AND YET HE CAME BACK FROM MEETINGS WITH MR. MIAL
AND SAYING HE DIDN'T WANT TO WORK ANYMORE.
Mial: I HAVE TO SAY THAT THAT WAS PROBABLY
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT POINT IN TIME
WHEN GARY REALLY DISENGAGED EMOTIONALLY...
FROM VIC PERILLO
AND HE BEGAN TO REALLY QUESTION
THE ROLE THAT HIS PARENTS WERE PLAYING IN HIS LIFE
NOT JUST AS MANAGERS,
WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING
REALLY JUDICIOUS BUSINESS DECISIONS ON HIS BEHALF.
Narrator: BUT GARY IS IN FOR A SURPRISE.
Mial: HE SAYS, "WELL...
"THE BUSINESS MANAGER'S ASSISTANT CALLED ME AGAIN
"AND SAYS I'M OVERDRAWN ON THIS CHECKING ACCOUNT.
"I'M RICH!
"HOW CAN I BE OVERDRAWN ON THIS CHECKING ACCOUNT?
I'VE GOT LOTS OF MONEY."
AND I SAID, "WELL, GARY,
YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU REALLY ARE OVERDRAWN."
"WELL, HOW COULD THAT BE?
I STILL HAVE CHECKS."
THIS IS THE LEVEL OF MISUNDERSTANDING
THAT GARY ENTERED HIS ADULT LIFE WITH.
Narrator: DESPITE HAVING ACCUMULATED MILLIONS IN EARNINGS
OVER THE YEARS,
GARY LEARNS THAT MUCH OF IT HAS GONE MISSING.
WE ESTIMATED THAT HE MADE ALMOST $20 MILLION.
AND OF THE $20 MILLION,
47½% OF THAT CAME RIGHT OFF OF THE TOP
IN COMMISSIONS AND MANAGEMENT FEES FOR ALL OF THE HANDLERS.
I KEEP HEARING THE FIGURE OF $18 MILLION.
I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT GARY MADE AND WHAT I NEGOTIATED FOR HIM,
BUT IT WASN'T $18 MILLION.
QUITE FRANKLY, GARY DID NOT UNDERSTAND.
HE WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT HE WAS PAYING.
HE HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT THE PERCENTAGES WERE.
Narrator: DION SUGGESTS THAT MUCH OF GARY'S CUT
WAS MISMANAGED BY HIS, THEN, BUSINESS MANAGER,
BUT THE ACCUSATION IMPLIES
THAT OTHERS MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, AS WELL.
I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE LEVEL OF BETRAYAL
FROM ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS
WHO WERE SUPPOSEDLY...
HIS PROTECTORS AND HIS HANDLERS.
I TOLD HIM THE TRUTH.
HE HAD AN AGENDA.
HIS AGENDA WORKED.
HIS AGENDA WAS TO TELL HIM
THAT EVERYBODY SURROUNDING HIM WAS A CROOK,
INCLUDING ME.
Mial: THERE WAS 10% TO HIS AGENT,
7½% OF HIS INCOME PAID TO HIS ATTORNEYS FOR LEGAL COUNSEL,
AND 5% TO HIS, THEN, BUSINESS MANAGER.
Narrator: DION CLAIMS THE LARGEST CUT, 20%,
GOES TO GARY'S PARENTS FOR MANAGING HIS CAREER.
Perillo: WHEN "DIFF'RENT STROKES" WENT OFF THE AIR,
THEY WENT BACK AND RESUMED THEIR EMPLOYMENT.
WHY WOULD THEY GO BACK TO WORK FOR 22, 23 YEARS?
SHOULDN'T THEY BE LIVING IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE?
Mial: GARY DID NOT PERCEIVE THESE PEOPLE
ANY LONGER AS HIS PARENTS.
THEY WERE THE ENEMY.
THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM AS HIS PARENTS HAD PASSED.
Narrator: GARY PARTS WAYS WITH HIS PARENTS
AND WITH VIC PERILLO.
Perillo: HE SAID, "VIC, I THINK I WANT TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION."
AND HE SAID, "WELL, NOBODY'S HOLDING A GUN TO MY HEAD."
OF COURSE, I KNEW SOMEBODY WAS.
Narrator: FOLLOWING THE CANCELLATION
OF "DIFF'RENT STROKES" IN THE MID-1980s,
GARY TAKES A DIFFERENT DIRECTION
AND A NEW MANAGER TAKES THE HELM -- DION MIAL.
SIMPLY BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT HE TRUSTED ME.
Perillo: WAS HE QUALIFIED? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
HE HAD NO BUSINESS ACUMEN, HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE.
HE WOULD CONFER WITH ME AFTER --
"WE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING RESIDUALS?"
Mial: WE MOBILIZED
TO CREATE SOME VEHICLES FOR HIM, WHICH WE DID.
WE SHOT A COUPLE OF PILOTS.
THEY WERE NOT PICKED UP,
BUT HE WAS DELIGHTED AND ALWAYS KEPT THE FAITH.
Narrator: IN 1989,
GARY COLEMAN FILES A $3.8 MILLION LAWSUIT
FOR MISAPPROPRIATED FUNDS
AGAINST HIS FORMER BUSINESS MANAGER AND HIS OWN PARENTS.
Mial: IT'S ALWAYS A VERY QUESTIONABLE AND DUBIOUS POSITION
TO BE AT SUCH ODDS WITH YOUR PARENTS.
FOR MANY PEOPLE, IT WAS INCONCEIVABLE
ABOUT HOW A CHILD COULD SUE THEIR PARENTS.
THIS ENTIRE COURT CASE HAD TO DO WITH THE BUSINESS MANAGER,
YET WE'RE HEARING IT HAD TO DO WITH PARENTS.
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM.
Narrator: VIC PERILLO CLAIMS
THAT SUE AND WILLIE COLEMAN'S ONLY MISTAKE
WAS IN PUTTING TOO MUCH FAITH IN GARY'S BUSINESS MANAGER.
DION MIAL AGREES TO A POINT.
Mial: THEY SIMPLY -- AT LEAST EARLY ON,
SIMPLY FOLLOWED THE DIRECTION OF THE BUSINESS MANAGER
AND THE ATTORNEYS THAT WERE SUPPOSEDLY
REPRESENTING GARY'S BEST INTERESTS.
I BELIEVE, THOUGH, OVER TIME,
ONCE THEY REALIZED HOW TOUGH THE GAME WAS
AND WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD HAVE BEEN
FOR THEM TO TURN AGAINST THE REGIME, AS IT WERE,
THEY DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO SIDE WITH THE REGIME
AND NOT WITH THEIR SON.
Narrator: IN 1993,
4 YEARS AFTER HE FILES THE LAWSUIT AGAINST HIS PARENTS,
THE JUDGE RULES IN GARY'S FAVOR AND AWARDS HIM $1.3 MILLION.
Mial: GARY FELT SO VINDICATED.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE,
HE REALLY FELT THAT HIS VOICE HAD BEEN HEARD.
WHEN I MEET PEOPLE AND THEY TALK ABOUT THE DAYS OF GARY COLEMAN,
THE FIRST THING OUT OF THEIR MOUTH IS,
"IT'S TERRIBLE WHAT THE PARENTS DID TO HIM,"
AND I HAVE TO TAKE A PAUSE
AND SAY, "YOU KNOW, IF YOU TELL A LIE LONG ENOUGH IN THIS WORLD,
EVENTUALLY, IT BECOMES THE TRUTH."
Narrator: THE MONEY COMES AT THE RIGHT TIME
SINCE GARY'S ACTING CAREER IS IN A REAL SLUMP.
Meyers: THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT OF GARY AT THE TIME
WAS THAT HE WAS SORT OF THE STEREOTYPICAL CHILD ACTOR --
YOU KNOW, HAD HIS 15 MINUTES OF FAME AS A YOUTH,
AND NOW IS HAVING HIS PROBLEMS
NOW THAT THE SPOTLIGHT WAS TURNED AWAY FROM HIM.
Narrator: GARY AND DION DON'T SEE EYE TO EYE
WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING THE ACTOR'S FINANCES.
Mial: THE TUGS OF WAR BECAME MUCH TOO SIGNIFICANT,
AND WE BOTH DECIDED THAT IT WAS JUST TIME
TO CREATE SOME SPACE AND SOME SEPARATION IN BUSINESS
IF THERE WAS ANY HOPE THAT WE WERE GOING TO REMAIN FRIENDS.
Narrator: THE TWO SEVER THEIR BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP IN THE LATE '90s.
THERE WAS NO ONE WHO WAS DEALING WITH HIM IN SUCH A PERSONAL WAY,
ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS,
TO ASSIST HIM WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF HIS MONEY.
AND WITHIN 18 MONTHS, HE FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY.
Narrator: NEVERTHELESS, GARY DRAFTS A 1999 WILL,
NAMING DION MIAL AS EXECUTOR.
GARY NOW SPENDS MUCH OF HIS TIME WITH CLOSE FRIEND ANNA GRAY.
Meyers: ANNA IS A FRIEND OF GARY'S,
AND SHE WAS THE CEO OF THE CORPORATION
THAT GARY CREATED FOR HIS AFFAIRS.
Narrator: REGARDLESS OF HIS EARLIER WILL,
IN 2005, GARY PREPARES ANOTHER ONE
APPOINTING HER AS HIS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE.
Mial: GARY AND ANNA GRAY
CERTAINLY STARTED OUT AS FRIENDS.
I DO KNOW THAT THEY BECAME VERY CLOSE.
I DO KNOW THAT AT ONE POINT,
GARY HAD VERY CLEAR INTENTIONS
TO MOVE THE RELATIONSHIP INTO SOMETHING MORE ROMANTIC,
BUT ANNA GRAY DID NOT, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM,
HAVE THE SAME INTENTIONS.
Narrator: LATER THAT YEAR, GARY TRAVELS TO UTAH,
WHERE HE HAS A ROLE IN THE INDEPENDENT COMEDY,
"CHURCH BALL."
HE TAKES TO UTAH IMMEDIATELY.
Malcolm: HE WANTED TO GET OUT OF LOS ANGELES.
IT REPRESENTED EVERYTHING HE DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT LIFE.
AND THEN HE DOES THIS FILM IN UTAH,
CALLS ME ON THE PHONE, HE SAYS, "I'M BUYING A HOUSE."
AND WITHIN THREE WEEKS, NOT ONLY DID HE BUY IT,
BUT HE WAS THERE.
Narrator: ANNA GRAY MAKES THE MOVE
TO THE FARMING COMMUNITY OF SANTAQUIN WITH GARY.
I KIND OF JOKED AROUND WITH HIM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT
AND SAID, "YOU REALLY THOUGHT THAT A SHORT BLACK MAN
"IN AN ALMOST TOTALLY WHITE COMMUNITY
WAS NOT GONNA GET ATTENTION?"
[ CHUCKLES ]
Narrator: BUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ANNA GRAY
IS ABOUT TO HIT A 5'7" STUMBLING BLOCK.
GARY COLEMAN MEETS ASPIRING ACTRESS AND EXTRA SHANNON PRICE
ON THE "CHURCH BALL" SET,
AND THE TWO HIT IT OFF IMMEDIATELY.
Mial: AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR TIME TOGETHER,
HE ABSOLUTELY LOVED HER.
THERE WAS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT GARY LOVED HER.
Kester: SHE'S A PRETTY BUBBLY KIND OF PERSONALITY.
AND THEY WERE GETTING ALONG FINE ON THE FIRST FEW OCCASIONS
THAT I MET AND SAW GARY AND SHANNON INTERACT.
Malcolm: FROM THE VERY BEGINNING,
I COULD TELL THAT THIS WAS A WOMAN, A GIRL,
WHO...DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD LIFE HERSELF
AND WAS NOT COMFORTABLE
WITH THE FACT THAT SHE WASN'T AS IMPORTANT AS HE WAS.
YOU KNOW, SHE WAS A LITTLE BIT ENVIOUS OF HIS FAME.
Narrator: SHANNON'S ARRIVAL CAUSES COMPLICATIONS.
HE WANTED TO MOVE SHANNON IN,
AND ANNA GRAY HAD TO GO,
NOT BECAUSE GARY NECESSARILY WANTED HER TO GO,
BUT SHANNON WOULD NOT HAVE IT.
I DON'T THINK ANNA LEFT WITHOUT SOME DEGREE OF REGRET
BECAUSE I THINK SHE LOVED GARY AND CARED ABOUT HIM
AND VALUED EVEN THEIR BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING
THAT SHE AND GARY CONTINUED TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER
ON OCCASION AND DIDN'T EVER REALLY LOSE TOTAL CONTACT.
Narrator: TWO YEARS AFTER MEETING,
GARY AND SHANNON GET MARRIED.
GARY CHANGES HIS WILL AGAIN
BY ADDING A HANDWRITTEN CODICIL, OR AMENDMENT, TO HIS 2005 WILL,
NAMING SHANNON AS THE NEW EXECUTOR OF HIS ESTATE.
BY 2007, GARY COLEMAN HAS NAMED THREE DIFFERENT EXECUTORS
TO HIS ESTATE AND NONE OF THEM ARE AWARE OF IT.
LITTLE DOES HE SUSPECT THAT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OF THEM
IS ABOUT TO TAKE A DARKER TURN.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
I CAN'T PAY 'CAUSE YOU DON'T HELP ME!
Malcolm: SHE TREATED HIM BADLY.
SHE WOULD YELL AT HIM. SHE WOULD MAKE FUN OF HIM.
HE WAS IN FEAR OF HIS LIFE --
SIMPLY IN FEAR FOR HIS LIFE,
HIS PHYSICAL SAFETY.
Narrator: GARY COLEMAN HITS THE BIG TIME
AS THE PRECOCIOUS AND SMART-MOUTH ARNOLD JACKSON
ON TV'S "DIFF'RENT STROKES,"
BUT HIS LIFE AFTER THE SHOW IS PLAGUED WITH MISFORTUNE.
UPON HIS DEATH, HE LEAVES THREE LEGAL DOCUMENTS
NAMING THREE SEPARATE EXECUTORS AND ONE FINAL QUESTION --
WHO IS GARY COLEMAN'S RIGHTFUL HEIR?
MAY 28, 2010.
SHANNON PRICE HAS JUST AUTHORIZED
THE DISCONTINUATION OF GARY'S LIFE SUPPORT,
BUT SHE HIDES A SECRET
THAT ONLY SHE AND A HANDFUL OF OTHERS ARE AWARE OF.
Meyers: THROUGHOUT THIS TIME, THE PUBLIC BELIEVED
THAT SHANNON PRICE WAS THE WIFE OF GARY COLEMAN.
Narrator: BUT SHANNON IS, IN FACT, NOT GARY'S WIFE.
NEWS EMERGES AFTER GARY'S DEATH
THAT HE AND SHANNON WERE SECRETLY DIVORCED IN 2008,
TWO WEEKS SHY OF THEIR FIRST WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.
Bradford: FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND,
THEY KIND OF GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT ONE NIGHT,
AND THEY BOTH TOOK IT A LOT FARTHER
THAN MOST RATIONAL PEOPLE WOULD TAKE IT.
WHAT MOTIVATED THE DIVORCE
WAS GARY HAVING MOMENTS OF REAL CLARITY,
UNDERSTANDING THAT HE HAD MADE A GRAVE MISTAKE,
THAT HE HAD COMMITTED TO SOMEONE --
WELCOMED SOMEONE INTO HIS HOME
WHO CERTAINLY WAS NOT OUT FOR HIS GOOD.
Narrator: THE DIVORCE IS FILED
UNDER THE ALIASES JOHN AND JANE DOE.
Kester: WE NOT ONLY PUT IT UNDER FICTITIOUS NAMES, ALIASES,
BUT ALSO SEALED THE FILE
TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM BEING ABLE TO OPEN UP THE FILE
AND FIND OUT PRIVATE MATTERS ABOUT GARY.
Meyers: HE DID NOT WANT THIS TO COME OUT,
AND HE DID NOT WANT TO HAVE TO
ANSWER TO REPORTERS AND TO ANYONE ELSE.
BUT THEN SHE SAID THAT THEY WERE SO IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER
THAT THEY COULDN'T BE APART,
SO THEY CONTINUED TO LIVE TOGETHER
AND NOT LET ANYBODY KNOW THAT THEY WERE DIVORCED.
Narrator: GARY AND SHANNON CONTINUED LIVING TOGETHER,
BUT AS GARY'S EX-WIFE,
DID SHE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TERMINATE LIFE SUPPORT?
Acham: I THINK EVERYONE WAS SORT OF SUSPICIOUS
AT THAT POINT IN TIME AS TO WHO SHE WAS,
"HOW WAS SHE ABLE TO DO THIS,"
YOU KNOW, "WAS IT LEGAL FOR HER TO DO IT?"
Narrator: SHANNON'S LAWYER, TODD BRADFORD,
POINTS TO GARY'S ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE SIGNED IN 2006.
Bradford: THAT ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE
LISTS SHANNON TO BE ABLE TO BE THE ONE
TO MAKE ANY MEDICAL DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF GARY
SHOULD HE BE NOT HAVE THE RIGHT STATE OF MIND
TO MAKE THAT DECISION FOR HIMSELF.
OBVIOUSLY, UTAH VALLEY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
WAS UNAWARE OF THE DIVORCE,
AND IT OPERATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS STANDARD PROCEDURE
BY FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIVE THAT WAS ON FILE.
Narrator: NOT EVERYONE IS CONVINCED
ABOUT THE LEGALITIES OF SHANNON'S ACTIONS.
Malcolm: FROM WHAT I'M TOLD,
THERE WAS NO WAY THAT HE WAS GOING TO SURVIVE,
AND "WHY PUT HIM THROUGH IT?"
I'M UPSET THAT SHE DID IT --
BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO IT.
Bradford: SHANNON ONLY GAVE THAT OKAY
AFTER CONSULTING WITH MULTIPLE DOCTORS THERE,
AFTER BEING TOLD THAT HE VIRTUALLY WOULD BE BRAIN-DEAD
IF HE WOULD EVEN SURVIVE AT ALL.
Narrator: A SPOKESMAN FOR THE UTAH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
DEFENDS THE HOSPITAL'S ACTIONS
BY CLAIMING THAT A FAMILY MEMBER'S WISHES
OVERPOWER WHAT'S WRITTEN IN A LIVING WILL.
GARY COLEMAN AND SHANNON PRICE
SUCCEED IN KEEPING THEIR 2008 DIVORCE A SECRET,
BUT THEY CAN'T KEEP SECRET THE YEARS OF MUTUAL ABUSE
EACH INFLICTED UPON THE OTHER.
Malcolm: SHE TREATED HIM BADLY.
SHE WOULD YELL AT HIM. SHE WOULD MAKE FUN OF HIM.
Meyers: SHANNON WOULD JUST GRAB GARY BY THE WRIST
AND DRAG HIM AROUND LIKE A CHILD
OR CALL HIM "MIDGET" AND OTHER DEROGATORY NAMES.
Malcolm: HE WOULD SCREAM BACK AT HER.
THEY WOULD THROW THINGS AT EACH OTHER.
IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY PROSECUTOR AND THE POLICE,
THERE WAS SOME FRUSTRATION
ABOUT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THEY'D BEEN CALLED.
Mial: GARY WAS EXTREMELY SELF-DESTRUCTIVE,
PARTICULARLY AS THE YEARS PASSED ON.
HE WAS EXTREMELY SELF-LOATHING.
HE DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIMSELF.
IN HIS OWN WORDS,
HE FELT, AT SOME POINT, THAT HE BECAME GOD'S PUNCHING BAG.
Narrator: THIS IS FAR FROM GARY'S FIRST RUN-IN WITH THE LAW.
IN 1998, GARY IS WORKING AS A SECURITY GUARD.
ONE DAY, HE ASSAULTS A FAN
WHO SIMPLY ASKS HIM FOR AN AUTOGRAPH.
THE JUDGE ORDERS HIM TO UNDERGO ANGER-MANAGEMENT CLASSES.
Malcolm: HE HAD A TEMPER, BUT I THINK HE WAS
ALSO INCREDIBLY SENSITIVE TO HOW PEOPLE TREATED HIM.
Narrator: IN 2005, HE ALLEGEDLY CHARGES AFTER ANOTHER MAN
WHILE AT THE WHEEL OF HIS TRUCK.
Meyers: THERE WAS A FAMOUS INCIDENT
DOWN AT A BOWLING ALLEY IN PAYSON, UTAH,
WHERE SOMEBODY TOOK HIS PICTURE
AND GARY IS ALLEGED TO HAVE ASSAULTED HIM.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
Narrator: IN 2009, BOTH GARY AND SHANNON
ARE ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
YES, THEY HAD THEIR FIGHTS,
MORE THAN MOST SPOUSES PROBABLY FOUGHT,
BUT DID THEY ULTIMATELY LOVE EACH OTHER?
DID THEY ALWAYS MAKE UP
AFTER THEY WOULD CALL THE COPS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
THEY ALWAYS DID.
Narrator: MONTHS BEFORE HIS DEATH IN 2010,
GARY IS ILL AND SEEKING REFUGE IN A SHELTER.
HIS LAWYER, RANDY KESTER, GETS A JUDGE
TO ISSUE A RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST SHANNON PRICE.
TOWARDS THE END OF THE THEIR RELATIONSHIP,
WHICH WAS REALLY THE END OF HIS LIFE,
HE WAS IN FEAR OF HIS LIFE --
SIMPLY IN FEAR FOR HIS LIFE,
HIS PHYSICAL SAFETY, IN FEAR OF HIS LIFE.
MOST OTHER TIMES, HE COULD PRETTY MUCH DEFEND HIMSELF.
I MEAN, HE COULD TALK TRASH JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE,
BUT AT THAT TIME,
HE WAS NOT IN A CONDITION TO DEFEND HIMSELF
AND HE JUST WANTED SOME HELP TO GET HER TO LEAVE HIM ALONE.
Narrator: BUT SHANNON MANAGES TO DODGE THE RESTRAINING ORDER.
TECHNICALLY, SHE WASN'T IN VIOLATION OF THE ORDER
BECAUSE SHE HAD NEVER BEEN SERVED
AND COULD SAY, "I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT."
IF GARY REALLY WANTED TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT,
HE COULD HAVE FOUND HER, AND HE COULD HAVE SERVED HER.
Narrator: GARY EVENTUALLY RETURNS TO THEIR SANTAQUIN HOME...
WITH SHANNON.
SHE LATER CLAIMED THAT IT WAS WITH HIS CONSENT
AND THAT HE WAS ASKING HER TO COME AND GET HIM,
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS HEARING.
Narrator: JUNE 14, 2010.
RECOGNIZING THAT THE 1999 WILL
NAMING HIM AS EXECUTOR IS OUTDATED,
DION MIAL RALLIES BEHIND ANNA GRAY
TO MAKE SURE THAT SHANNON PRICE
DOES NOT INHERIT THE LATE ACTOR'S ESTATE.
WHEN SHANNON PRICE CAME FORTH WITH THE CODICIL,
I KNEW THAT IF THERE WERE ANYTHING THAT I NEEDED TO DO
ON GARY'S BEHALF
WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS NEGATED.
THERE WAS NO WAY -- NO WAY THAT I WAS GOING TO REST
AND ALLOW SOMETHING THAT BOGUS TO ACTUALLY PREVAIL.
Narrator: BOTH ANNA GRAY AND SHANNON PRICE
PREPARE THEIR CASE FOR CONTROL OVER GARY'S ESTATE.
MEANWHILE,
A POLICE INVESTIGATION INTO GARY'S DEATH IS UNDERWAY.
SOME BELIEVE THAT GARY'S FATAL FALL IS SUSPICIOUS.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN A RELATIONSHIP WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY.
Narrator: FOLLOWING ONE-TIME CHILD STAR
GARY COLEMAN'S DEATH IN 2010,
TWO PEOPLE ARE LEFT FIGHTING OVER HIS ESTATE --
EX-WIFE SHANNON PRICE
AND COLEMAN'S CLOSE FRIEND, ANNA GRAY.
WHILE SHANNON AND ANNA PREPARE THEIR CASES,
SANTAQUIN POLICE INVESTIGATE THE NATURE OF GARY'S FATAL FALL.
Jeffs: THE INVESTIGATION BY THE SANTAQUIN POLICE
WOULD HAVE INCLUDED REVIEWING THE STORIES
AND THE 911 TAPES FOR THE CALLS TO EMERGENCY PERSONNEL.
IT ALSO INCLUDED INTERVIEWS OF THE AMBULANCE PERSONNEL
WHEN THEY TRANSPORTED MR. COLEMAN TO THE HOSPITAL.
Narrator: THERE ARE MANY THEORIES ABOUT THE DEATH.
Malcolm: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN A RELATIONSHIP
WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT PRECEDED.
YOU KNOW, WERE THEY YELLING AT EACH OTHER?
I DON'T KNOW. I WASN'T THERE.
NONE OF US KNOW.
AT ONLY 4'8" TALL?
HITTING HIS HEAD THAT HARD?
IT'S NOT VERY -- NOT A LONG WAY TO FALL TO THE FLOOR
TO CREATE SUCH A HORRIFIC INJURY.
DID HE HIT HIS HEAD ON SOMETHING BEFOREHAND?
I DON'T KNOW.
I -- I ALWAYS FELT
THAT IT WASN'T REALLY VERY WELL DOCUMENTED.
Narrator: AS THE POLICE INVESTIGATION DEEPENS,
SPECIAL ADMINISTRATOR ROBERT JEFFS TRIES TO DETERMINE
WHAT ASSETS OF GARY'S ARE AT STAKE.
HE'S IN FOR A BIG SURPRISE.
THE ONE-TIME SUPERSTAR IS ALMOST PENNILESS WHEN HE DIES.
Meyers: NORMALLY WHEN A WILL IS BEING CONTESTED,
YOU FIGURE THERE IS GOING TO BE A LARGE PILE OF MONEY INVOLVED.
BUT IN THIS CASE, THERE WAS NO ACTUAL MONEY.
Jeffs: MR. COLEMAN HAD A REAL INTEREST IN TRAINS,
AND HE DID HAVE IN HIS BASEMENT
SOME SIGNIFICANT AREA
WHERE HE HAD BUILT STANDS FOR THE TRAINS TO BE SET UP ON.
Kester: IF SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS WORTH
$50,000 TO $100,000, I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED.
Narrator: BUT THE TRAINS ARE GONE.
Kester: I'D HEARD FROM OTHERS THAT SHANNON HAD TAKEN
A LOT OF THE RAILROAD THINGS OF GARY'S
AND TAKEN THEM TO TRAIN CONVENTIONS
AND SOLD OFF A LOT OF THE TRAIN EQUIPMENT
AND THE TRAIN CARS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
Narrator: THE FATE OF GARY'S TRAIN COLLECTION
REMAINS UNRESOLVED.
WITH LITTLE TO NOTHING LEFT IN HIS NAME,
THE BATTLE OVER GARY COLEMAN'S ESTATE
BECOMES ONE OF PERSONALITIES, NOT PROFIT.
Meyers: BOTH SIDES HAVE ADMITTED THAT THE MONEY WAS ALL GONE,
THE HOUSE HAD BEEN FORECLOSED.
RIGHT NOW THE ONLY THING THEY WERE FIGHTING OVER
WAS GARY'S ASHES AND HIS NAME.
Narrator: SHANNON PRICE BEGINS TO BUILD HER CASE.
SHE NEEDS TO PROVE THAT HER RELATIONSHIP WITH GARY
QUALIFIES AS COMMON-LAW AFTER THEY DIVORCED IN 2008
IN ORDER FOR THE HANDWRITTEN CODICIL TO CARRY ANY WEIGHT.
THEN YOU HAVE TO PROVE THAT YOU COHABITED,
WHICH MEANS, BASICALLY, LIVING TOGETHER AS A HUSBAND AND WIFE.
THEY HAD TO TREAT EACH OTHER AS HUSBAND AND SPOUSE, MEANING,
"DID YOU BOTH CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR FINANCIAL WELLBEING?
DID YOU CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR PHYSICAL WELLBEING?
IF ONE WAS SICK, DID YOU TAKE CARE OF THEM?"
Meyers: YOU ALSO HAD TO HOLD YOURSELVES OUT
AND GAIN A REPUTATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AS HUSBAND AND WIFE.
Narrator: MEANWHILE IN OCTOBER 2010,
SANTAQUIN POLICE CLOSE THEIR INVESTIGATION.
Jeffs: THAT FILE WAS CLOSED.
I WAS NEVER PROVIDED A COPY OF THAT FILE,
SO I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF HOW THEY DETERMINED
THAT HIS DEATH WAS AN ACCIDENTAL DEATH.
Narrator: THE POLICE INVESTIGATED
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF GARY'S DEATH
AND FOUND NOTHING SUSPICIOUS.
IT'S VERY EASY FOR PEOPLE
TO THINK LOTS OF WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC THINGS.
Narrator: ON MAY 7, 2012,
ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH,
THE BATTLE OVER GARY COLEMAN'S ESTATE GOES TO COURT.
TODD BRADFORD CALLS SEVERAL WITNESSES WHO TESTIFY
THAT SHANNON AND GARY DID, IN FACT, LIVE TOGETHER.
THEIR TAX PREPARER, THE BANKER, GARY'S AGENT,
AND A NEIGHBOR WHO ALL TESTIFIED
THAT GARY AND SHANNON REFERRED TO EACH OTHER
AS HUSBAND AND WIFE
AND THAT THEY ALWAYS PRESENTED THEMSELVES TO PEOPLE THAT WAY.
Narrator: THEN SHANNON PRICE
PROVIDES A VALENTINE'S DAY CARD FROM GARY
AS PROOF OF HIS LOVE FOR HER.
Meyers: BUT WHEN ASKED, "WELL, WHAT DID YOU DO FOR GARY?"
SHE COULD NOT PRODUCE ANY NOTES OR CARDS OR GIFTS
THAT SHE HAD GIVEN GARY TO RECIPROCATE.
Narrator: SHANNON'S CASE HAS HIT ITS FIRST SNAG.
THE NEXT DAY, ANNA GRAY CALLS HER WITNESSES.
Meyers: ANNA BROUGHT IN FRIENDS AND A NEIGHBOR WHO TESTIFIED
THAT SHANNON'S DEPICTION
OF THEIR LIFE AS A FAIRYTALE ROMANCE
WASN'T EXACTLY "HAPPILY EVER AFTER."
Narrator: AUDRA WRIGHT, A NEIGHBOR OF SHANNON'S,
TAKES THE STAND.
SHE TESTIFIED ABOUT HOW SHANNON WOULD BE
VERBALLY ABUSIVE TO GARY, PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE.
Narrator: BUT THERE'S MORE.
Bradford: ONE OF THEM TESTIFIED THAT SHANNON,
WHILE THEY WERE LIVING TOGETHER --
POST-DIVORCE BUT STILL LIVING TOGETHER,
THAT SHANNON HAD A BOYFRIEND.
SHANNON WAS SEEN WITH THIS MAN
ACTING VERY AFFECTIONATE IN A WAY ONE WOULD EXPECT
A ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED COUPLE TO ACT,
WHEREAS OTHER PEOPLE SAID GARY AND SHANNON
DID NOT APPEAR TO ACT IN THAT TYPE OF WAY.
Bradford: ANNA NEVER ATTEMPTED TO SUBPOENA HIM,
TO GET A HOLD OF HIM.
HE WAS NEVER IN THE COURTROOM, NEVER TESTIFIED.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS PERSON THAT THESE TWO TESTIFIED ABOUT.
Narrator: EVEN MORE TROUBLING IS THAT EVEN IN DEATH,
SOMEONE IS TRYING TO PROFIT FROM GARY.
Malcolm: PICTURES WERE TAKEN OF HIM WHILE HE WAS DYING.
Narrator: GARY'S DEATHBED PICTURE APPEARS
ON THE COVER OF A TABLOID NEWSPAPER
IN THE WEEKS FOLLOWING HIS DEATH.
IT'S NOT KNOWN WHO SENT OUT THE PHOTO.
AND TO MY UNDERSTANDING, SHANNON DEFINITELY DID NOT APPROVE
THAT PICTURE BEING SOLD OR GIVEN TO THE MAGAZINE.
Narrator: WHILE THERE'S NO PROOF,
SOME ALLEGE THAT SHE MADE MONEY OFF THE SALE.
SHE MADE $10,000 OFF OF THAT PICTURE.
Narrator: ON MAY 14, 2012,
THE JUDGE ANNOUNCES HIS DECISION.
HE RULES THAT SHANNON PRICE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH GARY COLEMAN
DOES NOT MEET THE DEFINITION OF COMMON-LAW.
GARY'S HANDWRITTEN CODICIL IS ANNULLED.
SHANNON IS DEVASTATED.
Bradford: SHE HAD A HARD TIME.
SHE WENT IN HIDING, SHE JUST DIDN'T TALK TO ANYONE,
DIDN'T ANSWER PHONE CALLS, JUST LAID LOW.
Narrator: ON AUGUST 31, 2012,
ANNA GRAY IS NAMED EXECUTOR OF GARY COLEMAN'S ESTATE.
Mial: I WAS ABSOLUTELY PLEASED, BUT I WASN'T SURPRISED.
Jeffs: I BELIEVE THAT ANNA GRAY HAS SOME INTEREST
IN TRYING TO CARRY OUT MR. COLEMAN'S WISHES
AS FAR AS THE DISPOSAL OR KEEPING OF MR. COLEMAN'S ASHES,
SO I HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE
THAT SHE WILL FOLLOW THOSE WISHES.
Narrator: IN OCTOBER 2012, SHANNON WITHDREW HER PETITION
TO OBTAIN GARY'S ASHES FROM THE ESTATE.
ANNA WON'T SAY WHERE THEY ARE
SINCE, AS SHE SAYS, GARY'S FINAL WISH IS TO BE LEFT ALONE.
GARY COLEMAN'S LIFE WAS AN EXERCISE IN CONTRADICTIONS.
Malcolm: I DON'T MISS HIS PAIN.
I DON'T MISS THE WAY HE WAS.
I WISH HE COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
I WISH I COULD HAVE HELPED HIM TO BE DIFFERENT.
THEN I THINK I WOULD MISS HIM, BUT THE WAY HE WAS -- NO.
I FEEL HE IS OUT OF IT AND HE'S WITHOUT PAIN,
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME FEEL OKAY --
THAT HE'S NOT SUFFERING ANYMORE.
Narrator: NO MATTER THE CONTROVERSIES OF HIS LATER YEARS,
PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER GARY COLEMAN.
Perillo: GREAT PERFORMERS, YOU SEE,
HAVE THIS MAGIC ABOUT THEM.
WE DON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT LUCILLE BALL.
WE DON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT MILTON BERLE.
WE DON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT GREAT PEOPLE.
WE'RE STILL SEEING THE RERUNS, YOU SEE?
GARY'S AN OLD SOUL, YOU KNOW.
HE WAS SENT DOWN TO THIS EARTH TO ENTERTAIN,
AND HE ENTERTAINED EVERYBODY.