Melanie Watson Bernhardt, the actress best remembered for her guest role on the iconic sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, has died at the age of 57, per tmz.com.
Her brother, Robert Watson, confirmed that Melanie passed away on Friday in Colorado Springs. According to family sources, she had been hospitalised recently following complications involving internal bleeding. Despite medical intervention, her condition deteriorated rapidly.
Melanie was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic condition characterised by fragile bones that fracture easily. Her brother noted that while her death is a profound loss, the family feels fortunate she surpassed many medical expectations given the lifelong challenges of her condition.
Though her acting career was brief, Watson made a lasting impact on television history. She appeared as Kathy Gordon in four episodes of Diff’rent Strokes. Most notably, a 1982 episode titled “Kathy” focused on her character’s relationship with Arnold Jackson, played by Gary Coleman. The storyline famously featured a poignant argument between the two characters after Arnold attempted to persuade Kathy to walk without her crutches.
Following her time on the hit sitcom, Watson chose to retire from the entertainment industry. She moved into advocacy and philanthropy, notably co-founding the charity Train Rite, an organisation dedicated to the professional training of service dogs.
She was briefly married to Roger Bernhardt in the mid-1990s. Melanie Watson Bernhardt is remembered by friends and family as a woman of immense strength who turned her personal health struggles into a lifelong mission to help others.
•Featured image courtesy Getty Images
