Shelley Long Skipped 'Cheers' Reunion Due to Decades-old Grudge: Report
Shelley Long skipped the recent 'Cheers' reunion because of an old grudge against her castmates.
Shelley Long reportedly skipped the Cheers reunion at the Emmys because she has no interest in bellying up to the bar with her old co-stars again, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to a bombshell report, Long, 74, still holds a grudge against her former sitcom gang for allegedly stabbing her in the back when she played know-it-all barmaid Diane Chambers — and is glad she quit in 1987!
Long played Diane Chambers on 'Cheers' for five seasons.
"Shelley left the show because she didn't like her character — or her castmates," an insider told the National Enquirer.
On the actress' decision to skip the Emmys reunion, the mole noted, "She has no desire to revisit either of them."
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Sources claim she did not attend the 'Cheers' reunion at the Emmys because she 'didn't like her character or castmates.'
Long walked away after Cheers' fifth season in 1987 — and the NBC hit didn't skip a beat lasting six more years. the late Kirstie Alley was cast to replace Long and quickly became a fan favorite.
In his 1995 memoir, So Far..., Kelsey Grammer, who played Diane's shrink boyfriend, claimed the actress was disliked on set because she constantly griped about her character's portrayal and plot lines.
While Grammer claimed it was Long's bickering that ultimately led her to cut ties with the show, a source claimed the actress wasn't thrilled with the support her on-screen boyfriend gave her on-set.
Long was reportedly furious with her former co-stars for not supporting her on-set.
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"She was furious with her castmates for not backing up her efforts to develop her character," a source dished. "She thought Ted Danson and Kelsey could have been more vocal in their support."
"She felt they were more relieved than disappointed when she left!" the tipster added.
Ironically, Long received an Emmy nomination when she appeared as Diane in three episodes of Grammer's Cheers spin-off Fraiser, which was rebooted last year on Paramount+.
Long is said to have wanted a better character development and plotline for Diane.
"Shelley did it for the career boost and paycheck — and to prove the public liked her as much as the rest of them," a source spilled. "But she's done with associating herself with that role — and those people!"
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Long's rep for comment.
As RadarOnline.com reported, Long was spotted out and about shortly after the Cheers reunion aired.
While walking her dog outside of her Pacific Palisades home, the actress was described as looking downcast. At the time, it was unknown why she chose to skip the highly-anticipated reunion, which included her former co-stars Danson, Grammer, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, and George Wendt.
Long was not the only cast member to not attend the reunion. Woody Harrelson was noticeably absent and sadly, Alley passed away in December 2022 after battling colon cancer.
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