10 Shocking Facts You Didn’t Know About That 70s Show’s Lisa Robin Kelly
That ’70s Show was among the best TV show of the ’90s. While Eric Foreman was the show’s de facto protagonist, Lisa Foreman was just what the show needed to keep its viewers glued to the screens. Lisa Robin Kelly’s last appearance in a film was in the 2005 movie The Food Chain.
The show brought great actors like Mila Kunis into the spotlight while Kelly earned the most popular and defining role in her career. Unfortunately, the actress passed away in 2013, but it is worth noting that she was one of the most successful actresses to grace That ’70s Show. Here are some sad facts about her.
She Was First Arrested For Domestic Violence
She hit the headlines in March 2012 after being arrested for corporal injury. Her partner and roommate, John Michas, booked the complaint, the District attorney refused to file the charges due to conflicting narratives.
Michas allegedly became violent after Kelly expressed her intention to leave him. He then ran off before the police arrived. Kelly then made a counter-accusation against Michas, saying he had abused himself to make false accusations against her.
She Died Of A Drug Overdose While In Rehab
Kelly spent the last days before her death at Pax Rehab Facility in California after resolving to turn her life around. She, however, died mysteriously while sleeping in her room at the rehab house. Her autopsy report revealed that she had succumbed to a multiple drug overdose ruling out the possibility of foul play.
Her husband, Robert Gilliam, sued the rehab facility for neglect, stating that the facility’s staff were not well trained to care for his wife. His suit didn’t yield much as he was also blamed in part for causing Kelly’s mental torture.
She Was Fired From That 70s Show For Overdrinking
Kelly started her acting career with minor roles and appearances in TV shows like Married With Children, Days Of Our Lives, and X-Files. Her breakthrough in film came when she was cast on That ’70s Show co-starring with Mila Kunis and Aston Kutcher.
Her success on the show was short-lived as she was laid off in the third season due to alcoholism. she confessed that it was not her decision to leave the show, rather she had no choice but to accept the director’s decision
All Her Partners Were Partly Responsible For Her Death
Shortly after Kelly died, her estranged husband and her boyfriend got caught up in finger-pointing, with each of them getting the blame for the actress’s death. Kelly’s boyfriend trashed Gilliam, claiming that he was the reason for her relapse after a long period of sobriety.
Gilliam, on the other hand, claimed that in Kelly’s last two weeks before she died, she had made plans to run away from her abusive boyfriend. Unfortunately, Kelly died before she could move to North Carolina with her husband, and the truth has since remained a mystery.
Her Troubles Were Sparked By A Failed Pregnancy
To make it big in film, you have to be a fighter, but even the strongest have a breaking point. For Kelly, that point was pregnancy complications that led to the loss of her baby. She took it hard, got depressed, and resorted to excessive drinking.
Unfortunately, she developed an addiction that took her hard-earned title as a household name in Hollywood. With her role on That ’70s Show then given to Christina Moore mid-season, her short-lived career ended. She, however, regretted running from her problems rather than facing them.
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She Wasn’t Abandoned By Her Family As Claimed
The tabloids turned to blame everyone after Robin Kelly’s death, including her parents and siblings. This was because they were all she praised in interviews before her troubles began. Amid those claims of neglect, people forgot that Kelly had an enviable upbringing in a closely-knit family in Ohio.
The star always talked of her experiences with her family, especially after her debut role in Married with Children in 1992. She maintained close contact until she developed addiction issues when she started making headlines for the wrong reasons. It is not clear what really happened to their relationship after her exit from That ’70s Show.
She Was A Cheerleader In Highschool
The young actress was a very energetic student during her teen years. Before she went on to pursue her degree in acting at DePaul University, she already had a track record of being a famous teen in her own right.
Her high school fame came while in the cheerleading squad at Northview High School. She also made an appearance as a cheerleader on the 1999 comedy film Jawbreaker putting her skills into good use.
She Had Frequent Brushes With The Law
Kelly’s first record with spouse abuse came before she started living with Michas. Kelly and her 61-year old husband Robert Gilliam were both arrested in 2012 after complaints about their public obscenity. The two were both booked for assaulting one another in a case that provoked mixed reactions on social media.
In June 2013, Robin Kelly wrote on Twitter that she had filed for divorce from Robert Gilliam. She additionally filed for a restraining order against her allegedly abusive husband. Days later, she was arrested again for drunken driving after failing a sobriety test while her car blocked traffic on the freeway.
Her Scenes in That 70s Show Season 6 Had To Be Remade
Her role in That ’70s Show as Eric’s manipulative sister was taken over by Christina Moore after Kelly left the show. Her character was said to have gone to beauty school when she was laid off. Laurie’s absence on the third season was seemingly felt, making her comeback in season 6 inevitable.
Kelly had already acted part of her season 6 scenes before being laid off, making it hard on the producers. It was also disappointing for fans when she was permanently replaced on the show. The scenes were reshot, with Moore becoming the new star.
Rumors Of Her Drug Addiction Were Sparked By A Mugshot
Her arrest for the battery of her spouse was met with a lot of negative publicity. The story hit the headlines following the release of the mugshot from the arrest that raised questions because of her dishevelled state and strange eyes. Kelly pleaded with the media to bring down the photo claiming that she was not using drugs as the image suggested.
She even raised concerns over her mother’s shock if she ever came across the picture after Kelly claimed to be sober for three months. The photo was viral with ugly captions and comments all over the internet. Shortly after she made the sobriety claims, she was arrested again and this time, pleaded guilty to drunk driving.