Child stars over the edge
Leif Garrett: Before he was the star of one of the more popular episodes of VH1’s “Behind the Music” series, Garrett was one of the biggest teen singer/actor/heartthrobs of the 1970s. That was before his problems with drug abuse wrecked his career. Just before his 18th birthday, he crashed a car while drunk and on Quaaludes. His best friend was paralyzed and Garrett was the subject of a $25-million lawsuit, later settled. He’s since made the reality TV rounds, but was arrested again in early 2006 for alleged possession of heroin. (Ricardo DeAratanha / LAT)
Dana Plato: “Kimberly” from “Diff’rent Strokes” was dropped from the hit sitcom in 1984 when the actress became pregnant against producers’ wishes. After she had her child and attempts at a serious acting career failed, she had plastic surgery, posed for Playboy and began a career in low-budget and pornographic films. In 1999, following her final interview, on “The Howard Stern Show” -- in which she described herself as clean and sober -- she died of an overdose of Vanadom and Vicodin. The death was ruled a suicide. (Jim Laurie / AP)
Danny Bonaduce:
You may need a crash-cart if you try to track the ups and downs of Danny Bonaduces career. Though he found both fame and a family at age 10 on the hit TV show The Partridge Family, his home life was a mess. Charged in the early ‘90s with assault, he later boxed former child stars Donny Osmond and Brady Bunch boy Barry Williams for charity events. A self-admitted train wreck, he continues down his rocky road balancing unemployment and sobriety, radio work and reality TV. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
