Troubled Life Of 'Eight Is Enough' Star Adam Rich: Child Actor Died As A Recluse After Secret Overdose, Rehab Battle
Jan. 8 2023, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
Hollywood turned its back on Adam Rich — the beloved mop-topped tot on the hit '70s series Eight Is Enough, who died at age 54 on Saturday.
In the final years of life, Rich became virtually unrecognizable from the child star who was known to America.
“Adam was trying to sell script ideas for TV shows and movies,” said an entertainment industry source. “He was desperate to get back into the business, but he mostly existed on piddling payments from TV residuals or loans from friends.”
At the height of his popularity, Adam landed guest gigs on many top TV shows and also did voice work on the cartoon series Dungeons & Dragons. But after his fame as primetime cutie Nicholas Bradford faded, his acting career went nowhere.
He’d started smoking marijuana at age 14, and after dropping out of high school at 17 in 1986, his life began revolving around drugs.
In 1989, he OD’d on Valium and nearly died. Adam was arrested and charged with attempted burglary of a pharmacy in 1991 and in 2002 he was busted for DUI after nearly hitting a police car.
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He had been in rehab at least three times, and when most of the Eight Is Enough cast reunited on the Today show in 2010, Adam was a no-show.
In recent years, Adam regularly spoke out on social media about destigmatizing the struggles associated with mental illness.
"The only thing those suffering from a mental illness know how to do is pretend to be ok," he tweeted in mid December. "Enough! The stigma is killing people. Be yourself. Ok, or not ok, is the only way to create change, & stomp the stigma! Heal your truth!"
On Sunday, January 8, a family member confirmed Adam passed away at 54-years-old. The former child star was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Saturday, January 7.
Page Six reported that law enforcement said there was "no foul play.” However, he was "found lifeless by an unidentified person who came to his residence."
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TMZ was first to report Adam's death.