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Gh Leslie Charleson Dead At 79

General Hospital spoilers and updates report Leslie Charleson, who played the iconic Monica Quartermaine since 1977 passed away after a long illness at 79. Gh Executive Producer Frank Valentini made the announcement Sunday, January 12.

General Hospital Spoilers: Valentini’s Announcement

Frank Valentini announced: “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson”. “Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on ‘General Hospital’ alone”. “And, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew.”

“I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at ‘General Hospital,’ my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”

Gh Spoilers: Leslie Had Been Ill For Some Time

The cherished actress, who became part of the soap in...

Soap Opera icon Leslie Charleson, who for decades played Monica Quartermaine on “General Hospital,” died Sunday morning after a long illness. She was 79.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson,” “General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini announced. “Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on ‘General Hospital’ alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at ‘General Hospital,’ my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”

The beloved actress, who joined the soap in 1977, has had some health ups and downs over the past few years, which has limited her time on the ABC soap, on which she hadn’t appeared since December 2023. In recent years,...

Nobody Wants This, Netflix’s hit series about an interfaith relationship between Adam Brody’s rabbi and Kristen Bell’s podcast host, enjoyed a smooth path to a prompt season two renewal. The same can’t be said for CBS’ similarly themed sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie, which debuted 54 years ago.

Created by Bernard Slade (The Flying Nun), the series provided an early-career role for Meredith Baxter as Bridget, a wealthy Irish-Catholic teacher who weds Bernie (David Birney), a Jewish cab driver.

“I’d only been a working actor for a very short time, so I was thrilled to have a job,” Baxter, who would later play mom to Michael J. Fox on Family Ties, recalls to The Hollywood Reporter. “David had been a known stage actor for some years and had some feelings about working with such a newbie.”

The show premiered Sept. 16, 1972, in the coveted time slot between All in the Family...

Director John Carpenter has always sought to refine his many talents as an artist. That's a big reason why, after having helmed independent productions like Dark Star and Assault on Precinct 13 in the late 1970s, Carpenter accepted a job from NBC to direct the straight-to-television release of his often-forgotten horror film Someone's Watching Me! right before directing his masterpiece, Halloween, in 1978.

Once considered lost to time, Someone's Watching Me! was only rather recently re-released for the home media market in 2018. Since then, longtime John Carpenter fans have been able to see for themselves how one of the greatest horror directors of all time cut his teeth and honed his craft. Better yet, Someone's Watching Me! is an amalgamation of Carpenter's idiosyncrasies as a director and the influences of one of the all-time greats ever to do it, Alfred Hitchcock.

Related 10 Halloween (1978) Details Even Die Hard Horror Fans Missed

The original...

True Crime is a part of everyday media that the TV series, specials, films, and documentaries all about it have been around forever. But actually, that’s not the case. The format we now see, wasn’t the norm at all in the 80s when Unsolved Mysteries began its iconic run. A weekly series built around cases and interviews with the people who were a part of them, re-enacting the crimes…had never been done before.

But then one day a series came along that would not only showcase True Crime but would also give us ghosts, UFOs, and all points in between. Not only that, but the theme song would cause Ptsd in most kids my age who had the fortune or misfortune to hear it. That series is Unsolved Mysteries, a series so popular that it changed not only pop culture but the way investigations within law enforcement were conducted.

Richard Foronjy, who spent more than eight years in prison before he turned to acting and appeared in such films as Serpico, Midnight Run, Repo Man and Carlito’s Way, died Sunday, his family announced. He was 86.

Foronjy said he was arrested more than 20 times for “forgery, bank robbery, credit card rip-offs, assorted crimes and skullduggery … [guilty of] almost everything except drugs and homicide,” he said in a 1987 interview with Upi’s Vernon Scott.

The Brooklyn native was convicted only once, but that got him an 8½-year stretch in the New York prisons Sing Sing and Attica before he was released when he was 32.

In Hollywood, not surprisingly, Foronjy specialized in portraying cops and crooks.

He was a cop killer in his screen debut, Serpico (1973), and cops in The Morning After (1986) and Prince of the City (1981), all for Sidney Lumet. “I was especially good at playing cops, no doubt because I got to...

The Thing (1982)A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.Rating: 8.2/10Stars: Kurt Russell (MacReady), Wilford Brimley (Dr. Blair), Keith David (Childs), Richard Masur (Clark)Halloween (1978)Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a...

Graphic: Images: IMDBThe Thing (1982)

A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Rating: 8.2/10

Stars: Kurt Russell (MacReady), Wilford Brimley (Dr. Blair), Keith David (Childs), Richard Masur (Clark)

Halloween (1978)

Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes...

Four-time Grammy winner Lenny Kravitz will perform for Sunday’s emotional “In Memoriam” segment on the Oscars 2023 ceremony. While only 40-50 people are generally remembered for the television ceremony hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC, over 200 people will be recognized on the Academy’s webpage starting that evening.

SEEWho is Performing at the Oscars 2023?: Full List of Presenters and Performers

Here is a lengthy list of many contributors to film who died since last year’s Academy Awards ceremony:

Mary Alice (actor)

Gil Alkabetz (animator)

Kirstie Alley (actor)

Burt Bacharach (composer)

Angelo Badalamenti (composer)

Simone Bär (casting director)

Joanna Barnes (actor)

Carl A. Bell (animator)

Jeff Berlin (sound)

David Birney (actor)

Bruce Bisenz (sound)

Robert Blake (actor)

Eliot Bliss (sound)

Nick Bosustow (shorts)

Albert Brenner (production designer)

Tom Bronson (costume designer)

James Caan (actor)

Michael Callan (actor)

Donn Cambern (editor)

Irene Cara (songwriter)

Gary W. Carlson (sound)

Marvin Chomsky...

Sunday’s SAG Awards ceremony will be a streaming event for the first time on the Netflix YouTube channel. One of the highlights each year is the special In Memoriam segment. It’s been a particularly rough year with over 100 deaths of prominent actors and actresses who were likely members of SAG/AFTRA. Show producers typically are able to include approximately 40-50 people in a tribute.

Among that group will certainly be Oscar winners Louise Fletcher, William Hurt and Irene Cara, plus nominees Angela Lansbury (a SAG life achievement recipient) and Melinda Dillon. Emmy champs Mary Alice, Kirstie Alley, Leslie Jordan, Ray Liotta, Stuart Margolin, Robert Morse and Barbara Walters.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2023: In Memoriam Gallery

Here is our expansive list of over 100 people who died since last year’s ceremony, several of whom will be honored on Sunday’s event:

Ralph Ahn

J. Grant Albrecht

Mary Alice

Rae Allen...

Click here to read the full article.

On Oct. 26, 1982, NBC introduced St. Elsewhere to TV audiences. The ensemble medical drama went on to run for six seasons on the network. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review, as included in a TeleVisions column, is below:

Passing in Review: St. Elsewhere (NBC, Tuesday, 10-11 p.m.) The critics are having a field day. “Well written,” they’ve called it. “Touching.” “Gritty.” And a variety of other words and phrases all meant to tell us that St. Elsewhere, the new hour-long slice-of-life medical drama on NBC, is topnotch television. They’ve compared it to that other prized hour of TV drama, Hill Street Blues. And well they should. Both come from Mtm Enterprises, and both have a similar type of stark realism base which at once repels and attracts — like much of reality. While Hill Street gets its story lines and plots from police life,...

John Legend took the stage at the Emmy Awards on Monday to honor the stars who left us during the past year. The “In Memoriam” segment was one of the highlights of the night, with the Egot winner performing his new song “Pieces.”

Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery

Anthony Anderson presented Legend and the segment, saying, “It never feels like the right time to say goodbye to a loved one, a friend or a cherished icon.”

He added. “To quote Shakespeare, ‘All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players, they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.’ As we acknowledge the legends within our industry will pass on, we celebrate all that they created and shared with the world. May they rest in peace and power.”

Emmy Red Carpet Photos: Best Looks Of 2022

During Legend’s performance,...

Producers of this Monday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony have some difficult decisions to make about who to honor during the emotional In Memoriam segment. John Legend will perform “Pieces,” a new song he has written for the tribute. Kenan Thompson will host the 2022 Emmys for NBC at 8 p.m. Et; 5 p.m. Pt.

Our list below includes almost 100 people who made a strong contribution to television and have died since mid-September of 2021 following the previous Emmys ceremony. Only about 40-45 of these people will probably be in the video segment. Certain to be featured will be TV Academy Hall of Fame members actress Betty White and director Jay Sandrich.Other prominent names almost certainly chosen are: Mary Alice (acting winner), Louie Anderson (acting winner), James Caan (acting nominee), Anne Heche (acting winner), Howard Hesseman (acting nominee), William Hurt (acting nominee), Gregory Itzin (acting nominee), Ray Liotta (acting winner), Burt Metcalfe...

David Birney, an actor, and director who was best known for playing a Jewish cab driver married to an Irish Catholic teacher in the one-season long 1972 sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie and as a doctor of the 80s hit St. Elsewhere, died on Friday, at 83. Birney passed away at his Santa Monica, California home, […]

The post David Birney, ‘Bridget Loves Bernie’ & ‘St. Elsewhere’ Star, Dies At 83 appeared first on uInterview.

David Birney, who starred on the first season of the buzzy medical drama “St. Elsewhere,” as well as the short-lived, controversial sitcom “Bridget Loves Bernie” — about a Catholic woman marrying a Jewish man — has died at 83. His life partner Michele Roberge confirmed the news to The New York Times, and said he died due to Alzheimer’s disease at his home in Santa Monica.

Birney’s nearly-40 year television career began with a part in the 1969 series “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing,” all the way through to a guest appearance in “Without a Trace” in 2007. He also had roles and recurring spots on many classic TV shows, including “Murder, She Wrote,” “The Love Boat” and “Hawaii Five-0.”

Yet his best-know parts were Dr. Ben Samuels on the first season of the 1982 drama “St. Elsewhere,” which he had to leave because of a Broadway commitment, and a lead role on the 1972 sitcom “Bridget Loves Bernie.

David Birney, an actor who found early success on Broadway before landing the co-starring role on a 1972 sitcom, Bridget Loves Bernie, that would be one of the most controversial TV shows of its era, died of Alzheimer’s disease Friday, April 29, at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 83.

His death was reported to The New York Times by his life partner, Michele Roberge.

Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery

Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Cleveland, Birney had studied theater at the University of California, Los Angeles, when in 1965 he began acting in regional theaters across the country, including the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia, and the Hartford Stage Company in Connecticut.

In 1967, he performed in a New York Shakespeare Festival production of A Comedy of Errors, and in 1969 he made his Broadway debut as Cleante in Molière’s The Miser. In all, he appeared...

The veteran actor-director David Birney, best known for his role in the popular but short-lived CBS sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie, has died. He was 83. Birney’s death was confirmed by the New York Times, which stated that the actor passed away on April 29 at his home in Santa Monica from Alzheimer’s disease. He was diagnosed with the life-altering neurologic disorder in 2017. Born on April 23, 1939, in Washington, D.C., Birney graduated from Dartmouth College and later earned an M.A. in Theatre Arts at UCLA. He served in the Army in the 1960s and won the All Army Entertainment contest and received the ‘Barter Theatre Award’ in 1965. This would kick-start Birney’s career in theatre, which included starring roles on Broadway in Amadeus, Benefactors, and Man and Superman, and major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival. Birney would move into television work in the late 1960s, appearing in bit parts in various TV movies.

David Birney, a familiar face to ’70s TV audiences with dozens of appearances over five decades, including as the star of “Bridget Loves Bernie,” the short-lived CBS sitcom where he met future wife Meredith Baxter, has died, according to reports. He was 83.

The New York Times reported that Birney died Friday at his home in Santa Monica of Alzheimer’s, citing life-partner Michele Roberge. The Times said he was diagnosed with the degenerative disease in 2017.

Birney played the titular Bernie Steinberg on “Bridget Loves Birney,” a ratings hit during the 1972-1973 TV season that was nonetheless canceled after just one season. But the connection was made: Birney would wind up dating and marrying his co-star Meredith Baxter, who was known as Meredith Baxter-Birney by the time she played Elyse Keaton on “Family Ties.”

The couple had three children – Kate, Mollie, and Peter – and divorced in 1989. Years after their divorce, Baxter...

Bernard Slade, the Oscar-nominated writer who created The Partridge Family and wrote the enduring romantic comedy Same Time, Next Year for Broadway and the big screen, died Wednesday. He was 89.

Slade died peacefully at his Beverly Hills home from complications of Lewy body dementia, a family rep announced.

In the 1960s and '70s, Slade also developed ABC's The Flying Nun and created NBC's The Girl With Something Extra, two comedies starring Sally Field; created ABC's Love on a Rooftop, featuring Judy Carne, Pete Duel and Rich Little, and CBS' Bridget Loves Bernie, starring David Birney and Meredith Baxter; and served ...

Bernard Slade, the Oscar-nominated writer who created The Partridge Family and wrote the enduring romantic comedy Same Time, Next Year for Broadway and the big screen, died Wednesday. He was 89.

Slade died peacefully at his Beverly Hills home from complications of Lewy body dementia, a family rep announced.

In the 1960s and '70s, Slade also developed ABC's The Flying Nun and created NBC's The Girl With Something Extra, two comedies starring Sally Field; created ABC's Love on a Rooftop, featuring Judy Carne, Pete Duel and Rich Little, and CBS' Bridget Loves Bernie, starring David Birney and Meredith Baxter; and served ...

2009: CBS aired the final episode of Guiding Light."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1967: Love is a Many Splendored Thing premiered on CBS. The network, which hadn't premiered a soap in seven years, enlisted Irna Phillips in adapting a serial very loosely from a famous novel and movie. Love is a Many Splendored Thing concerned the in-laws of the book's protagonist Mark Elliot, who intermarried with other surrounding families in San Francisco. A stylish and refreshing story, it was a fabulous stepping stone for David Birney, Donna Mills and Leslie Charleson, all beautiful and talented young performers.

1968: Search for Tomorrow and The Guiding Light each

expanded to a half hour.

1985: Gh's Robert tried to figure out who Robin was.

2009: Andrea died at the carnival on General Hospital."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this day in...

1965: On Peyton Place, Stella Chernak (Lee Grant) broke down at Ada Jacks' (Evelyn Scott) bar. Adam made an emergency call to Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson), who suddenly left the dinner party thrown by David (William Smithers) and Doris (Gail Kobe) Schuster.

Another World, Birthdays, Constance Marie, Dark Shadows, General Hospital, Guiding Light, History, Peyton Place, Scott DeFreitas, Search For Tomorrow,...

The films of John Carpenter are nothing new to lovers of horror, sci-fi and the like. However with Shout! Factory's recent Blu-ray release of one of John Carpenter's earliest films, it's tough not to be impressed by how he handles this very interesting subject matter. On the face of it Someone's Watching Me! might play like your garden variety thriller. The fact that it was a TV movie from 1978 also limits what it is capable of being from a content standpoint. However, don't be fooled by any of this because Someone's Watching Me! is a "lost" film that isn't ever going to go away. And, at its heart really shows why the films of John Carpenter are still with us today. If you doubt this then just ask yourself why the already remade Halloween has been remade yet again and is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2018.

Lauren Hutton...

I’ll keep it simple: John Carpenter is my favorite director, and has been since I grasped the concept of what a director did. His run from 1976 to 1988 is unparalleled in my opinion; from the eerie siege of Assault on Precinct 13 to They Live’s way too prescient take on governmental oppression, there’s nary a stinker in the bunch. But within this stellar run he made a couple of turns towards the small screen, where he was able to hone his craft under the duress of tight schedules and restrictive content. And since this is a horror column we won’t be talking about the excellent Elvis (1979) but rather his tip of the hat to Hitchcock, Someone’s Watching Me! (1978), a suspenseful tale of voyeurism that’s a more than solid lead in to Halloween.

Originally airing on November 29th as part of the NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies,...

The brides wore white.Former "Family Ties" star Meredith Baxter tied the knot with contractor Nancy Locke over the weekend -- and we've got the first shot of the happy couple after the ceremony.Both Baxter, 66, and her longtime partner wore white pea coats during the intimate outdoor ceremony on Sunday, which was attended by Meredith's five children, friends and family.According to People, Locke has a band that performed at the reception, and both women took lessons to learn their first dance.Baxter, who was previously married to Robert Lewis Bush, David Birney and Michael Blodgett, came out as a lesbian in 2009."I got involved with someone I never expected to get involved with, and it was that kind of awakening," the actress said of her now-wife back in 2009. "I never fought it because it was like, 'Oh, I understand why I had the issues I had early in life.

Family Times actress Meredith Baxter married her longtime partner Nancy Locke over the weekend in an intimate ceremony in Los Angeles.

Meredith Baxter Marries

The wedding on Sunday afternoon was attended by Baxter’s five children and other family members and close friends of the couple, reported People. They all watched on as Baxter and Locke exchanged handwritten vows and enjoyed music played by a guitarist friend of the couple, as well as Locke’s band.

“Now I understand why marriage caught on!” Baxter told People.

Baxter and Locke, a contractor, have been dating for seven years and obtained a marriage license last month in Beverly Hills. After coming out in 2009, Baxter, who has been three-times married to men, said that her relationship with Locke is the “healthiest” she’d even been in.

Baxter was previously married to Robert Lewis Bush, stage actor David Birney and actor-turned-writer Michael Blodgett, whom...

Meredith has tied the knot! The ‘Family Ties’ star wed her longtime partner in an intimate ceremony in Los Angeles on Dec. 8. Congratulations!

Meredith Baxter is officially a newlywed! The 66-year-old actress, who surprised many in Dec. 2009 when she came out as a lesbian, said “I do” to her longtime partner, contractor Nancy Locke, in Los Angeles on Dec. 8.

Meredith Baxter Marries Nancy Locke

Meredith and Nancy exchanged their handwritten vows in an intimate ceremony, according to People. Close friends and family, including Meredith’s five children, were all in attendance to see the lovebirds tie the knot.

A family friend reportedly played guitar and sang at the ceremony, and then the party really got going. At the wedding reception, Nancy’s band took the stage and performed before it was time for the couple’s first dance. Meredith and Nancy had reportedly taken dance lessons in preparation of the big moment,...

Actress Meredith Baxter was so terrified of going home to ex-husband David Birney during their allegedly abusive marriage, she would sip on wine as she drove back from the set of her 1980s show Family Ties.

The beloved TV mum, 63, shocked fans last week (begs28Feb11) when she detailed the troubles that blighted her union to actor Birney in her new memoir, Untied. She accused her Bridget Loves Birney co-star of being violent towards her during their 15-year marriage - claims Birney has vehemently denied.

However, the veteran star insists her home life had deteriorated so much, she turned to alcohol to drown her sorrows - and even indulged while she was behind the wheel.

During an appearance on The Talk on Monday, she said, "For a long time I didn't drink as I was working on Family Ties.

"Most of those were sober shows, you saw. Certainly when I started driving home, I had a glass of wine between my legs, driving home from Paramount (studios), because it was going home, it was so hard. I'd be a wonderful, contributing, excited, appreciated person at work and I'd go in that door and I was someone who was held with contempt and derided."

Birney broke his silence over his ex-wife's allegations at the weekend, calling her claims "mean spirited" and absurd", and insisting Baxter concocted tales of marital woes to aid her in the custody battle over the former couple's three children.

But Baxter is standing by her account and is refusing to be drawn into a public dispute with Birney.

She added: "You'd think he hadn't read the book, and I know he has. There was a time when I felt I had to defend myself against him all the time, and I don't have to do that anymore, so I really don't have a response for that."...

Actor David Birney has broken his silence to vehemently deny ex-wife Meredith Baxter's allegations he was violent towards her during their 15-year marriage. Baxter shocked fans this week by lifting the lid on her relationship with her "Bridget Loves Birney" co-star in her new memoir, "Untied".

She alleges the marriage was blighted by domestic violence and accuses Birney of being abusive. Birney has now spoken out for the first time about his former partner's allegations, calling her claims "mean spirited" and "absurd" and insisting Baxter concocted tales of marital woes to aid her in the custody battle over the former couple's three children.

The actor says in a statement to People.com, "(She) conducted a relentless and brutal assault (against the shared custody in an attempt) to destroy that arrangement and replace it with herself as sole custodian. During that time she arrived in court repeatedly with various lawyers and several therapists,...

David Birney thinks ex-wife Meredith Baxter's new memoir belongs in the fiction section.  Claims that he abused her during their 15-year marriage are "an appalling abuse of the truth," Birney said in a statement to People, in which he called her autobiography, Untied, "a kind of fairy tale." In fact, Birney alleges, it was Baxter who had the issues. The Family Ties star "conducted a relentless and brutal assault" against him for eight years in order to "destroy" their joint custody arrangement and win sole custody of their three sons, Birney says. "During that time she arrived in court repeatedly with various lawyers and several...

David Birney has denied ex-wife Meredith Baxter's claims that he abused her during their marriage.

Baxter's claims are "an appalling abuse of the truth," Birney told People in a statement.

Meredith Baxter: David Birney hit me

Baxter made the allegations in her new memoir, Untied. She said Birney's abuse was "so sudden and unexpected, I couldn't tell you which hand hit me, or even how hard." Baxter spoke at length about it this week on Today and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Birney, who already denied Baxter's claims to Today, added that the actress "conducted a relentless and brutal assault" against the joint custody of their three children for eight years after their divorce.

"During that time, she arrived ...

Read More >...

Actor David Birney has broken his silence to vehemently deny ex-wife Meredith Baxter's allegations he was violent towards her during their 15-year marriage.

Baxter shocked fans this week (beg28Feb11) by lifting the lid on her relationship with her Bridget Loves Birney co-star in her new memoir, Untied. She alleges the marriage was blighted by domestic violence and accuses Birney of being abusive.

Birney has now spoken out for the first time about his former partner's allegations, calling her claims "mean spirited" and "absurd" and insisting Baxter concocted tales of marital woes to aid her in the custody battle over the former couple's three children.

The actor says in a statement to People.com, "(She) conducted a relentless and brutal assault (against the shared custody in an attempt) to destroy that arrangement and replace it with herself as sole custodian.

"During that time she arrived in court repeatedly with various lawyers and several therapists, 'recovered memories,' accusations of abuse - a common charge in custody disputes - and tales of our life together that bore little resemblance to truth - a mean spirited process that battered us all, especially the children. The court denied her suit on every occasion.

"This current recycled version of our family story is no more credible now than it was then."

And Birney insists he is shocked Baxter has painted such a bleak story of their marriage in her book, adding, "(It is) immensely sad and truly absurd (that she) is unable to reclaim a single instance of joy or pleasure in all that time, not one occasion of love or delight or accomplishment in our entire life together as we built a family. Not one.

"Nothing from our first meeting to divorce. Nothing, in sixteen years. Really? This blanket omission, this unrelieved denial of even a single instance of joy or pleasure in the creation of a family, the substance and amazing joy of raising children together, of simply being together with them during that time, is incomprehensible. And sad. Meredith's own account of these years is its own rebuke to her credibility."...

Breaking his silence, David Birney issued a forceful denial of ex-wife Meredith Baxter's allegations he abused her during their 16-year marriage. In a statement to People on Friday, the actor, 71, calls her claims "an appalling abuse of the truth" and derided her new memoir, Untied, as "a kind of fairy tale." After their divorce 20 years ago, he says, Baxter "conducted a relentless and brutal assault" for eight years against their shared custody of their three children in what he called an attempt "to destroy that arrangement and replace it with herself as sole custodian." "During that time she arrived...

Beloved TV mum Meredith Baxter didn't realise she had a drink problem until a concerned producer insisted she seek help.

The Family Ties star started drinking heavily as her abusive marriage to actor David Birney fell apart, but she never thought it was a big issue until she got drunk for a nude scene in a movie.

She recalls, "I had a job that was really difficult for me... I was working in Canada and alcohol had just become a way to make it (life) Ok and I was doing a movie and they were pushing me to do something in the nude, and I didn't want to.

"I thought, 'Well, the only way to do this is to get myself real snockered (drunk) and I did and I got through it.

"It was after that movie the producer took me to lunch in Los Angeles and said, 'We think you have a drinking problem... We tried to cut this (movie) together and your eyes are out of focus and we can't understand you.

"I was stunned... I'd always thought of myself as a good girl; I was there, I knew my words and I didn't create problems, and then they were perceiving me as a problem."

The producer's big reveal prompted Baxter to follow the producer's suggestion and sign up for a 12-step meeting to battle her alcoholism.

Actress Meredith Baxter burst into tears during an interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show on Wednesday when her one-time TV husband Michael Gross reminded her of her lowest moment on the set of Family Ties

The beloved TV mum, who recently broke her silence about her abusive marriage to actor David Birney, never let on there were problems at home - but Gross always knew there was something wrong; he just couldn't put his finger on it.

And it took a backstage breakdown for him to realise the extent of her private woes.

Gross joined Baxter on the Oprah show and recalled the day she "started to go".

He said, "One thing led to another and she wasn't stopping crying... and she said over and over again, 'I'm so afraid'... I didn't know what that meant at the time."

Baxter broke down and held her hands up to her face and Gross had to fight back tears as he embraced his former castmate.

He added, "My impulse was to say, 'You're coming home with me...'"

The actress sobbed, "I was afraid of him (Birney) coming back. It was so peaceful (without him)."

Baxter's three kids, who were in the audience, also broke down as they watched their mum try to compose herself.

Gross picked up the story and revealed he always thought his TV wife and her real husband had the perfect marriage.

He added, "They were the poster child of a marriage that was going well... I didn't notice because you (Baxter) kept her mouth shut."

The actor also confessed he had "no idea" his co-star had a drink problem.

The couple's TV son Michael J. Fox revealed on a video he recorded for the Oprah special that he knew there was something wrong with his castmate.

He recalled, "What I noticed with Meredith's drinking was there was another reason underneath it; there was a sadness underneath it. You could tell that something was troubling her... It was the red flag. I think she was having problems with David and that's (drinking) how it manifested itself."...

Meredith Baxter has claimed that she was abused by ex-husband David Birney during their 15-year marriage. Writing in her new memoir Untied, the Family Ties star said that physical violence occurred more than once in their relationship, which began in 1974. "It was so sudden and unexpected, I couldn't tell you which hand hit me, or even how hard," she revealed of one particular incident. (more)...

By Greg Hernandez

HollywoodNews.com: Elton John, who was a close friend of the late Princess Diana, has confirmed that he and partner David Furnish have been invited to Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton’s wedding in London next month.

Elton had told HollyScoop.com he was not expecting to be invited: “I don’t know them (princes William and Harry) very well. I’ve only met them twice – once when they were young and once at the Diana Memorial Concert… I knew their mother but that is the only thing. I’m not playing at the wedding. I haven’t been asked and I don’t expect to be asked.”

But in the end, Elton made the cut. He so memorably performed a special version of “Candle in the Wind” at Princess Diana’s funeral which ended up being an even bigger hit than the song was the first time around!

Meredith Baxter is a guest on today's edition of The Oprah Winfrey Show. The actress, best known for playing mom Elyse Keaton on Family Ties, will be talking about her new book called Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame and Floundering.

Baxter talks about her life, her abusive 15 year marriage to actor David Birney, her bout with alcoholism, and her subsequent coming out as a lesbian.

And if that isn't enough, Baxter gets a surprise visit from her Family Ties husband Michael Gross and a recorded message from her TV son, Michael J. Fox.

"Family Ties" actress Meredith Baxter has sensationally accused her ex-husband and former co-star David Birney of assaulting her during their 15-year marriage. The veteran TV star has wed three times and shocked fans when she 'came out' as a lesbian in 2009, revealing she had found love with another woman, building contractor Nancy Locke. And now she's back to shock again after claiming her marriage to her "Bridget Loves Birney" co-star was blighted by domestic violence in her explosive new memoir, entitled "Untied".

On Tuesday, March 1, she returned to the U.S. TV news show where she revealed all about her sexuality two years ago, to open up about her alleged abusive marriage. When asked during "The Today Show" chat why she didn't leave her husband, the 63 year old said, "I didn't know I had a choice. I didn't know I could go."

Baxter revealed she kept her personal problems to...

Family Ties actress Meredith Baxter has sensationally accused her ex-husband and former co-star David Birney of assaulting her during their 15-year marriage.

The veteran TV star has wed three times and shocked fans when she 'came out' as a lesbian in 2009, revealing she had found love with another woman, building contractor Nancy Locke.

And now she's back to shock again after claiming her marriage to her Bridget Loves Birney co-star was blighted by domestic violence in her explosive new memoir, entitled Untied.

On Tuesday, she returned to the U.S. TV news show where she revealed all about her sexuality two years ago, to open up about her alleged abusive marriage.

When asked during the Today Show chat why she didn't leave her husband, the 63 year old said, "I didn't know I had a choice. I didn't know I could go."

Baxter revealed she kept her personal problems to herself while she was working with her husband: "You learn to compartmentalise. As soon as I got to the studio, my home life was not happening. I never talked about it. No one knew anything."

But the violence at home became too much for her to bear: "It was so sudden and unexpected, I couldn't tell you which hand hit me, or even how hard. I do recall thinking, 'I'd better not get up because he's going to hit me again.'"

Baxter and Birney had three kids together during their marriage.

The actor has yet to respond to his ex-wife's TV allegations.

Meredith Baxter is 2-2 when it comes to Today show appearances and massive personal revelations. Last time she sat down with Matt Lauer, she revealed she was a lesbian. This time? She shared her battle with being in an allegedly abusive marriage with former costar David Birney. The 63-year-old former Family Ties star was married to Birney, her Bridget Loves Birney costar and father of three of her children, for 15 years, ending in divorce in 1989. But she revealed on the Today show this morning, and indeed in her new memoir Untied, that their marriage was one of emotional and physical abuse. The 71-year-old Birney, Lauer noted during the interview, denies all the allegations. "What I got...

Chicago – Steven and Elyse Keaton were the super-parents of a certain generation. “Family Ties” was the 1980s TV show featuring Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter as the Keatons. As TV parents, they raised Alex (Michael J. Fox), Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers).

The quintessential 1980s sitcom propelled Fox to stardom, and provided Red vs. Blue State discourse before it was cool, as Alex Keaton was a Reaganite conservative and his parents were liberal ex-hippies from the 1960s. Well-written, funny and warm without being sticky, the show was anchored by Gross and Baxter’s chemistry as Steven and Elyse.

Gross and Baxter had their reunion at the Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show in September of 2010. The show is a biannual event that brings celebrities to Chicago to meet, sign autographs and interact with their admirers. Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com was also there to capture the Family Ties reunion in photography.

Having come out in the pages of People earlier this month as a real-life lesbian mother, Meredith Baxter - who played the popular TV mom Elyse Keaton on the '80s sitcom Family Ties - will now put her entire story to paper. This week, the Broadway Books imprint of Crown Publishing Group announced it had acquired a yet-to-be-written, yet-to-titled memoir by Baxter, who "will present a fully realized portrait of her life as an actress, mother of five children and grandmother, and will candidly discuss her fight with breast cancer, her 19 years of sobriety, entrepreneurship and her decision to come out,...

Former Family Ties actress Meredith Baxter has 'come out' as gay after living as a lesbian for the past seven years.

The veteran TV star, 62, has been married three times, including a failed union to actor David Birney - but Baxter confesses she's found love with another woman, building contractor Nancy Locke.

The couple has been dating for four years and has been living together since 2007.

Rumours of her sexuality first surfaced last month when Baxter was snapped on a gay cruise holiday in the Caribbean.

The mother-of-five is relieved to finally share her secret life with her fans, claiming she was never comfortable as a married woman.

She tells People magazine, "I had been so profoundly unhappy, and I never knew that was why. I'm happy for the first time in my life."

Baxter was relieved to find her kids, now all grown up, supported her choice to become a lesbian, but admits she delayed announcing her sexuality to the world because she feared she would lose out on acting work after years portraying supermum Elyse Keaton on the hit 1980s show.

She says, "I reluctantly held this position as America's mum for seven years... You don't know what kind of information is going to go into the decision to cast or not to cast you. It's hard enough to get a job. Why make it harder?"

But Baxter has no plans to wed Locke because her previous failed marriages has left her wary of exchanging vows again: "It has nothing to do with Nancy or how much I love her. Being a wife was not a great experience for me."...

We wonder what ultraconservative Alex P. Keaton would've said about his liberal ex-hippie mom switching parties? Meredith Baxter, who played mom to Michael J. Fox on NBC's classic '80s sitcom Family Ties, has officially declared herself a lesbian. Baxter, 62, revealed to The Advocate that after three marriages, most notably to fellow actor David Birney, and five children, she started dating women seriously seven years ago, after testing the waters with a brief fling six years prior. And something clicked all right. "I've been married three times, and I have a slew of children, but I've never felt that kind of connection before in that kind of awakening. It was...

Most people know Meredith Baxter as Elyse Keaton, everyone's favorite mom from the hit '80s sitcom Family Ties. But now the actress reveals to People that she's ready for the world to see her in a different - and surprising - way: "I'm a lesbian mom," she says. Before Baxter, 62, first started dating women seven years ago, the thought of being gay "had never crossed my mind," she tells People. Having been in three failed marriages to men (most famously to actor David Birney), she says of her many difficult years before coming out, "I was never comfortable with myself.