This Former TV Icon Became a Cheese Steward After Losing a Child & Battling Addiction – Her Story

A beloved figure in the world of television, this actress became a household name in the late 1970s. Known for her role on the widely popular show “The Love Boat,” she played the charismatic cruise director Julie McCoy, who navigated both the high seas and the hearts of millions of viewers.

Week after week, the actress was part of the ensemble cast, including Vicki Stubing, which made the show a fan favorite, catapulting her to stardom. However, her personal life was unraveling behind the scenes. During her time on the hit series, the actress developed a cocaine addiction, a battle that grew alongside her success.

In 1984, after seven years on the show, her addiction reached a point where the producers had no choice but to replace her. The former star admitted, “I felt guilty. I felt shame and humiliation and disgust and disappointment and every other bad word you can think of.”

Despite her success, the actress knew she had reached a point she couldn’t escape alone. She privately begged for help from those around her, but as she recalled, no one wanted to offer the support she desperately needed.

By the time the show ended, the actress had finally sought professional help and achieved sobriety, but the damage to her career had already been done. Years later, during a fan event in September 2024, her “The Love Boat” castmates gathered to celebrate a new Princess Cruises Love Boat at Sea event.

During a Q&A session, Fred Grandy, the actress’s co-star, acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding her departure were less than ideal, attributing much of what happened to the outdated understanding of addiction at the time.

“This would’ve been the early ’80s — substance abuse on a set in those days was a punishable offense. It was not a healthcare problem, and it was not understood in the way it is understood now,” the actor stated.

“She was a victim of circumstance because the attention and care and therapy she should have gotten was meted out in the form of discipline,” Grandy continued.

Despite the actress’s addiction challenges, Grandy emphasized that his co-star had “recovered magnificently” and that although she was not present at the event, she remained “as much a part of the family as anybody else up on this stage.”

After the hit series, this famous actress and former “The Love Boat” star wasn’t typecast and simply wasn’t offered work due to her public battle with addiction. Grandy reflected on this unfortunate turn, “TV is a cruel business, and it’s particularly predatory toward young ingénues.”

Nonetheless, over time, the actress slowly rebuilt her career in regional theater. She took on acting and directing roles, amassing an extensive resume on stages across the country, from Arizona to Georgia.

“What she’s doing post-‘Love Boat’ is developing her credentials as a serious stage actress,” Grandy added. He also commented on the double-edged sword of TV fame, “TV tends to define you as the role you play and cryogenically freezes you for the rest of your life as that person.”

Following her career struggles, this beloved actress fell in love with a Seattle native and decided to leave her native California and relocate to Seattle.

There, as she continued to nurture her passion for acting, reports emerged that she was also working as a Seattle-based cheese steward, a far cry from the glitz and glamour of her earlier years.

Yet, the actress seemed content with this quieter life and ready to put the past behind her, saying, “It’s a big part of my past. It’s not any of my present. My personal journey has been well-documented.”

The former Hollywood star further reflected on the strength she had gained over the years and how she finally felt at peace. “I’m much happier now than I was when I was 23,” she admitted.

“I’m more self-aware, more peaceful. I spent a long time looking at myself, asking, ‘What’s important to me?'” the actress continued. But the challenges didn’t stop with her battle against addiction. In 1987, she suffered a devastating loss when her one-month-old daughter, born prematurely, passed away.

The grief from this tragedy was compounded when, less than two years after her marriage, her husband, at only 42 years old, was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. In response to her husband’s diagnosis, the actress joined a support group and has since advocated for more medical research into the disease.

Through it all, this former TV icon’s resilience has left a lasting impression. Her journey from the dizzying heights of Hollywood to personal lows and her eventual reinvention is a testament to her strength.

This woman is none other than “The Love Boat’s” very own Lauren Tewes. Take a look at her transformation over the years and see what she looks like now.

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