Ever wonder what happened to the little sisters of your favorite television shows?Tina Yothers was cast as Jennifer Keaton on ‘Family Ties’ when she was 8 years old. It was the height of her career in acting. She took a long break from show business. In 2004, she took part in VH1’s ‘Celebrity Fit Club’ and in 2013, she got a wardrobe makeover on ‘What Not To Wear.’
Lisa Bonet was the cool teenager Denise Huxtable. She left the show for the spin-off series ‘A Different World.’ She starred opposite Mickey Rourke in the movie ‘Angel Heart.’ Many were shocked by her erotic scenes in the movie and her topless spread in Interview magazine and nude cover on Rolling Stone. Rumor has it, producers worried her role would taint the Cosby Show’s squeaky clean image and led to her being fired from the show in 1991. Bonet married rock star Lenny Kravitz and they had a daughter together. They divorced in 1993. Bonet legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon. She married actor Jason Momoa. They have two children together. She played as Will Smith’s girlfriend in the blockbuster ‘Enemy Of The State.’ Her most recent appearance was in ‘Road to Paloma.’
Stephanie Tanner was loved by millions on ‘Full House.’ But when the show was over, Jody Sweetin wasn’t feeling the love and had a difficult time. In a 2009 memoir, Jody revealed that she had a long history of methamphetamine and alcohol abuse. In 2013, she was working as a clinical logistics coordinator at a drug rehab facility in Los Angeles.
Roger’s bratty little sister Dee was played by Danielle Spencer. She was famous for her line “Oooh, I’m gonna tell Mama!” The sitcom had a three-year run, and later Spencer went to Tuskegee University to become a veterinarian. The 49-year-old came into the spotlight just last October with the announcement that she has breast cancer, but plans on making a fast recovery.
Susan Olsen couldn’t break the stereotype of cute, little pig-tailed Cindy Brady, so she’s pursued her passion and became a successful artist instead.
Jaimee Foxworth landed the role as Judy on ‘Family Matters.’ After the introduction of the character Steve Urkel, Judy’s scenes were reduced and eventually she disappeared without any explanation. Foxworth went on to star in pornographic movies under the name Crave. In 2009, Foxworth and her boyfriend, Michael Shaw, had a baby boy.
Ashley Johnson had the role of little Chrissy in ‘Growing Pains.’ She went on to play on ‘Roseanne’ and later ‘What Women Want’ with Mel Gibson. She was also cast in the 2012 blockbuster ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’ People don’t recognize the pint-sized Chrissy when they see her, because she’s changed so much.
Tracey Gold became famous for playing Carol Seaver on ‘Growing Pains.’ The role and pressures of being in the spotlight took its toll and she struggled with an eating disorder. Family and friends were scared for her when her weight dropped all the way down to 80 pounds. She came forward to talk about her struggles publicly in 1992. In 2011, she came back to create, produce, and star in Lifetime’s television series ‘Starving Secrets with Tracey Gold.’
Lily Nicksay played Morgan on ‘Boy Meets World’ for the first two seasons. She got some small roles here and there. Lily disappeared from Hollywood and moved to Scotland for 8 years, where she attended high school. Last year, she returned to Los Angeles. Lily is 26 years old now.
She played Morgan Matthews for 5 seasons on ‘Boy Meets World.’ She landed a role in ‘Ruthless! The Musical’ and was also a guest actor in the series ‘Star Trek Voyager.’ Lindsay was the singing voice of Darla Dimple in the film ‘Cats Don’t Dance.’ Lindsay earned her Masters Degree in Counseling from the University of Redlands in 2010.
Scarlett Pomers played the rebellious sister Kyra on ‘Reba.’ Being in the spotlight made Scarlett self conscious and she battled anorexia nervosa for years. She left the show during the fifth season for treatment and came back for the sixth and final season. She played Naomi Wildman on ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ from 1998-2001. She released her debut EP ‘Insane’ in 2010.
Twins Kristina and Lauren Meyering played Lily Lambert in 12 episodes of ‘Step by Step.’ They never got any notable roles after they were replaced on the show. Both are currently students at Azusa Pacific University.
Emily Mae Young was adorable Lily in 36 episodes of ‘Step by Step.’ She had a short-lived role in the ‘Undercover Angel’ in 1999, but disappeared from Hollywood after that.
Mackenzie Rosman was the adorable, innocent curly-haired Ruthie from ‘7th Heaven.’ Five years after the series came to an end, her image changed dramatically. A photo was leaked with her wearing lingerie and another of her kissing a woman. At 23, Rosman posed for Maxim magazine. Rosman had a role on ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager.’ In 2013, she appeared in ‘Ghost Shark,’ ‘Nightcomer,’ and ‘Beneath.’
Erin Moran was 14 years old when she signed to play Richie’s little sister on ‘Happy Days.’ She also starred in the spin-off ‘Joanie Loves Chachi’ and made appearances on ‘Murder, She Wrote’ and ‘The Love Boat.’ The actress didn’t get much work after that. In 2008, she appeared on ‘Celebrity Fitness.’ Erin and her castmates from ‘Happy Days’ each received a payment of $65,000, plus future royalties as a settlement from CBS. They originally asked for $10 million. IMDb reports that Moran received $900 per episode for ‘Happy Days.’ In 2012, newspapers reported that she was kicked out of a trailer park she was living in. We hope Moran is having happier days.
Suzanne Crough was cast as little Tracy on ‘The Partridge Family’ sitcom that lasted for 4 years. She made some movies and guest appearances after the show ended. Crough attended Los Angeles Pierce College. After graduating, she operated and owned a bookstore. Today, she is manager at an Office Max in Bullhead City, Arizona.
When they were tiny babies, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen made their television debut as Michelle Tanner on ‘Full House.’ They spent 8 seasons alternating their time in front of the camera. The follow-up series ‘Two of a Kind’ and ‘So Little Time’ each only lasted a season, but that was okay because the twins had already built their empire. The Olsen sisters got into perfumes, cosmetics, clothing, dolls, and books. According to The Richest, they have a combined net worth of $300 million.
Keshia Knight Pulliam had the role of the youngest Cosby child. She started playing Rudy when she was just 4 years old. When the show went off the air in 1992, Pulliam disappeared from show business for ten years and focused on her education. She went to preparatory school and then attended Spelman College where she graduated with a BA in Sociology in 2001. She returned to the spotlight in the celebrity game show ‘Weakest Link’ and then ‘Fear Factor’ in 2002. Pulliam also appeared in ‘Christmas at Water’s Edge.’ In 2005, she got a role in ‘Beauty Shop and The Gospel.’ She played Miranda on Tyler Perry’s sitcom ‘House of Payne.’ Pulliam was awarded three NAACP Image Awards for best supporting actress for her performance. She also costarred with Perry in ‘Madea Goes to Jail.’ Her latest role was in Byron Allen’s ‘Mr. Box Office.’
Sara Gilbert was cast as Becky’s jaded sister Darlene on ‘Roseanne.’ While she played that role, Gilbert was studying at Yale University. She graduated with honors in 1997. She appeared on ’24’, ‘Will & Grace’, ‘Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’ and ‘Private Practice.’ She was Dr. Jane Figler on ‘ER.’ Gilbert is the co-host and executive producer of ‘The Talk.’ In September 2014, Gilbert happily announced she was pregnant with her first child with wife, Linda Perry. The two married in March of 2014.
