So sad...I love watching her on Cheers reruns...hope she makes it through this tragic time...

'Cheers' actress in painkiller overdose
Thursday, November 25 2004, 16:16 GMT -- by Daniel Saney


Ex-Cheers actress Shelley Long is in an LA hospital after being found to have overdosed on painkillers.

Long is famous for playing the out-of-place waitress Diane Chambers in the sitcom based in a Boston bar. For the first two series of the show, Long's character was central, much of the plot revolving around her troubled romance with barman Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson. She then went on to the big screen with The Brady Bunch Movie.

In recent times she has reportedly been suffering from depression following the break-up of her marriage last year.

The Sun quotes a friend of Long's as saying: "A week ago, Shelley, who lives alone, kept the curtains drawn. She wasn't eating. She has always been thin, but she was almost skeletal."

purplegypsy said:

does it surprize you , she was clearly unbalanced.

TheButler said:

How was she "clearly unbalanced?" It's not like she's in the media headlines everyday.

What came to mind is the fact that she left Cheers after starring in two box office hits MONEY PIT and OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE. Then all her other movies tanked. She starred in two TV shows that got cancelled after a few episodes. And now she's remembered for playing Carol Brady in the BRady Bunch movies. So...I figure that, in addition to her failed marriage, fueled this depression. It saddens me because I think she was absolutely brilliant on CHEERS.

TheButler said:

I also loved Shelly Long in "Cheers", in fact, I still watch the reruns on TV Land. I always liked Dianne MUCH better than Rebecca, and have said to my friends that I didn't like the show as much after Shelly Long left the show. Shelly Long is a great actress, no doubt about it. I hope she is able to overcome this depression. It's ashame she didn't seek help before it lead to the suicide attempt.

No offence, but she was pretty crap in "cheers" and most should know series picked up tons when Kistie Alley came in.....Shelly was boring and could not act!


Remember her in "don't tell her it's me" with Steve Guttenberg? I think that is what its called and she played Steves Mum who interfered with his love life.....my god that film was awful


Also the less said about the brady bunch movie the better.....

purplegypsy said:

You said everything I wanted to. I hope she recovers well and finds some happiness.

thesexofit said:

and what does any of this have to do with her current situation.


Can't ya'll just say "God bless" and keep it movin'....
[Edited 11/26/04 12:43pm]

Amen, Rhonda. Tell 'em girl!

OK fair enough, i c ur point and Iam sorry (seriously).....I do not want her to commit suicide becuase they fired her off cheers!

thesexofit said:

Wow...

I always liked her.

endorphin74 said:

Co sign.

Wouldn't wish that on anyone-I hope she hangs in there and knows that there are ways to deal with it.

Hope she gets the help she needs.

subhuman09 said:

Hopefully, she can find some closure. She had been married for 22 years and her husband left her and I guess that drained her. Hopefully, she is able to regroup and get her career back on track.

thesexofit said:

I've seen csnips of it on TV. Steve Guttenburg had this very obivious bald cap on or something. It looked very unsettling. Was it supposed to be a comedy? didn't get it. I disaggre with you saying she was boring and couldn't act and liiked her in movies and TV most of the time when she was on anything. This is very sad news. I hope she gets her life back together.

Here's how messed up our society is:

Pencil-thin Shelley Long's been majorly TROUBLED since the dissolution of her marriage a year ago...

... but all the tabloids and paparazzi can do is follow around Kirstie Alley for gaining a lot of weight.



God bless both of 'em.

thesexofit said:

Hotlegs said:

Definitely-there's always a chance to get better, as long as it's taken advantage of.

Hope she hangs in there!

It wouldn't surprise me if this jumpstarts her career.

That's sad to hear. I hope she can come to terms with her life.

Sweeny79 said:

Hope she gets the help she needs.

ThreadBare said:

How long before the media starts talking about a "Cheers" curse??

JediMaster said:

That's a good question. You have brought up a good point.

Hotlegs said:

Its inevitable, isn't it?

The pills were for her back... An injury she incurred while working on Cheers..


Here is to a speedy recovery physically, and mentally!

Cheers rocks. I love watching re-runs here in the UK. Sam Malone is my fucking idol!!

from http://www.jamaicaobserve...L_STAY.asp

Shelley Long home after brief hospital stay

AP
Monday, November 29, 2004



LOS ANGELES (AP) - Cheers alum Shelley Long was back home after being briefly hospitalised 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 Centre, 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 break-up of her 22-year marriage to stockbroker Bruce Tyson.
The New York Post reported Long was hospitalised on November 16 and released Tuesday.

conch5184 said:

Publicists rock!