‘Diff’rent Strokes’: Melanie Watson Dies at 57 After Health Battle

Michelle Stein
Melanie Watson in DIFF'RENT STROKES
Frank Carroll/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

What To Know

  • Melanie Watson, known for her role as Kathy Gordon on Diff’rent Strokes, died at age 57.
  • After her acting career, Watson co-founded the nonprofit Train Rite to train shelter dogs as service animals.
  • Fans and the disability community paid tribute to Watson on social media, recognizing her impact as a trailblazer for disabled actors and her memorable contributions to television.

Diff’rent Strokes actress Melanie Watson is dead at 57 after a health battle.

On Friday, December 26, Watson died in Colorado Springs, Colorado, after being hospitalized for bleeding, her brother, Robert, told TMZ.

The actress was born on July 20, 1968, in Dana Point, California, with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. Robert told the outlet that “doctors did their best to help her,” but that she was “fortunate to live as long as she did with her condition.”

Watson portrayed Arnold Jackson’s (Gary Coleman) friend, Kathy Gordon, in Diff’rent Strokes, appearing in four episodes from 1981 to 1984. On the show, Kathy helped Arnold accept the fact that he would never be taller than 5 feet.

After Diff’rent Strokes (her only acting credit, per IMDb), Watson co-founded the nonprofit organization, Train Rite, which trains shelter dogs to become service animals. She was also the CEO of Couiffie’s Ranch since 2019, Deadline reported.

On X, Diff’rent Strokes fans shared tributes to Watson in the wake of her death. One fan wrote in reaction to a clip of Watson and Coleman, “Two kids, both with disabilities, lamenting and highlighting their personal experiences. The interaction in the scene was perfection. RIP.”

Another X user shared, “Arnold and Kathy have reunited in the next realm. RIP Melanie Watson.” (Coleman died in 2010 from a brain hemorrhage after a fall.)

Someone else wrote on X, “She’s in heaven now, and she knows the answers to all of life’s mysteries. Like what Willis was talkin’ ’bout.”

A different X user commented, “I’m handi-capable! I love that line! RIP Melanie, you were the reality check we all needed to stop feeling sorry for ourselves. There’s always someone who has it rougher, and they do a better job dealing with it.”

Meanwhile, yet another fan shared via X, “I’m sad to learn of Melanie’s passing. She truly paved the way for disabled actors to be given a shot in the business.”

Diff’rent Strokes, streaming on Tubi and FRNDLY TV

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