Melanie Watson, who was known for her guest role on Diff’rent Strokes, has died. She was 57.
The actress died on Friday in Colorado Springs following a recent hospitalization for bleeding, her brother Robert Watson told TMZ.
Born July 20, 1968 in Dana Point, California, Melanie had osteogenesis imperfecta (aka brittle bone disease) since she was born, which made her susceptible to bone fractures and low bone density due to low collagen.
From 1981-’84, Watson recurred as Kathy Gordon on Diff’rent Strokes, who is introduced as an upbeat child in a wheelchair, helping Arnold (Gary Coleman) come to terms with the fact that he’ll never grow taller than five feet. She appeared on four episodes from Seasons 3 through 6.
Following her retirement from acting, Watson co-founded the nonprofit Train Rite, helping train shelter dogs to work as service animals. Since 2019, she also reportedly served as CEO of Couiffie’s Ranch, which empowers people with disabilities to live more independently.
