The Tragic Reason The Love Boat's Lauren Tewes Disappeared From Hollywood
From 1977 to 1987, television fans got their weekly dose of high seas romance and laughs watching "The Love Boat." In the years since the show ended, multiple tragic moments have perhaps made the show's legacy feel more bittersweet, like the heartbreaking death of star Gavin MacLeod or actor Fred Grandy's revelation that not all was roses and champagne behind the scenes, given the drama surrounding his co-star, Lauren Tewes.
Tewes starred as Julie McCoy from 1977 to 1984. McCoy was known to audiences as the upbeat cruise director who was a fan-favorite character. Her reputation on set, however, was marred by her well-known substance abuse. Rather than provide the help Tewes needed to overcome the issue, her character was, instead, written out of the show. "Substance abuse on a set in those days was a punishable offense," Grandy said during a "Love Boat" cast Q&A, per People. "It was not a healthcare problem, and it was not understood in the way it is understood now. And to some degree, she was a victim of circumstance at the time because the attention and care and therapy she should have gotten was meted out in the form of discipline."
Her career was overshadowed by her past
In the years since her "Love Boat" run, actor Lauren Tewes recalled pining for help as her addiction got worse. Having her character written off the show gave Tewes perhaps another wake-up call regarding the issue's severity. "I felt guilty," she said in an interview with OWN uploaded to YouTube in June 2014. "I felt shame, and humiliation, and disgust, and disappointment, and every other bad word you can think of." She said she thankfully sobered up by the time "The Love Boat" concluded.
Her dismissal from "The Love Boat" didn't mean her career was completely finished, either. Though we haven't seen her as much since her sitcom ended, Tewes appeared in several other shows in bit parts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including "Charlie's Angels," "Fantasy Island" and Angela Lansbury's "Murder, She Wrote." She even returned to "The Love Boat" franchise as Julie McCoy with a guest role in the revival series "Love Boat: The Next Wave" in 1998 and appeared as the same character in the sitcom "Martin" a year prior. Although she continued to act, Tewes said her accomplishments were overshadowed by her controversial past. "Every time I am referenced in the media, it comes up that 'Former cocaine addict Lauren Tewes went to the grocery store today,'" she said during her OWN interview. Though the memory of her addiction seems inescapable, she hopes she may also be remembered for her "Love Boat" role.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).