Her four episodes on the sitcom marked a rarity: a disabled actress onscreen. By Sopan Deb Melanie Watson Bernhardt, the trailblazing actress who played Kathy Gordon for four episodes on the 1980s ...

Melanie Watson Bernhardt, the actress known as Kathy Gordon on "Diff'rent Strokes," has died. She was 57. Watson Bernhardt's brother, Rob Watson, confirmed the actress died Friday, Dec. 26, in ...

Growing up in the spotlight is notoriously difficult, and few child stars embodied this sad truth quite like Dana Plato. The ...

It's been nearly 40 years since the series ended, but people are still talkin' 'bout Diff'rent Strokes. Many of the series' main stars went on to have continued success in film and television after ...

Melanie Watson, an actress best known for her portrayal as Kathy Gordon on Diff’rent Strokes, died on December 26, 2025, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, her family confirmed. She was 57. As fans of the ...

The entertainment world mourns the loss of Melanie Watson Bernhardt, a beloved actress known for her memorable role on the classic sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes." Her re ...

Melanie Watson Bernhardt, the trailblazing actress who played Kathy Gordon for four episodes on the 1980s sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" and became one of the first disabled performers on screen, died ...

Actress Melanie Watson, who made a mark as Kathy Gordon in the 1970s-’80s sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes,” has died. She was 57. Watson was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, a ...