‘Facts of Life’ actress sets record straight about reboot after co-star claims 'greedy b----' sabotaged it
Lisa Whelchel starred as Blair Warner in "The Facts of Life." (Getty Images)
"We’d been trying to find a way to work together in some capacity for probably the last 10 years," Whelchel explained. "So, when it looked like this was going to happen, we were all really excited. The contracts were signed and then the writers’ strike happened, the actors’ strike happened, and then, unfortunately, Pa [Charlotte Rae] and Norman Lear passed. After that, it just kind of dissolved." "We were all quite disappointed," Whelchel stressed.
Norman Lear passed away in 2023 at age 101. (Getty Images)
Rae, who played a wise and patient housemother to a brood of teenage girls, died in 2018 at age 92. Lear passed away in 2023 at age 101.
From left: Nancy McKeon as Joanne 'Jo' Polniaczek, Kim Fields as Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey, Lisa Whelchel as Blair Warner, Mindy Cohn as Natalie Green, Charlotte Rae as Edna Garrett. (NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)
A year later, Cohn was on Sirius XM’s "Jeff Lewis Live," where she revealed a "greedy b----" was to blame for reboot plans being shelved. Cohn explained that after the success of an ABC special, "Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes," in 2021, which featured an all-star recreation of episodes of both shows, including Jennifer Aniston in Whelchel’s role, Lear reached out to the cast.
Mindy Cohn played Natalie Green in "The Facts of Life." (Getty Images)
"He said, ‘Are you guys interested?’ And we had all never really talked about it, but we all started to consider it a little bit, and we got into talks. And we hired a writer, and the four of us got together on Zooms. This was during COVID, and we had meetings with Norman about it," Cohn said. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Mindy Cohn attends SiriusXM Studios on March 22, 2024, in New York City. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Asked what happened, Cohn replied, "What happened was not cute. Yeah… There was drama." "More than that," Cohn said. "[She] went behind our backs and tried to make a separate deal for a spinoff just for herself and devastated the rest of us. … I had booked ‘Palm Royale;’ another girl is working. I'm just saying it was for a 40-year friendship and sisterhood. There was a tidal wave of emotion around it." "She was a greedy b----, I’ll say it," she added.
Fans quickly speculated that Mindy Cohn was talking about Lisa Whelchel. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
The 58-year-old said the actresses didn’t talk "for a while and now we do-ish, but there's definitely, it was an ouch." She added that there is "no desire to ever work together" and the reboot is "dead. It’s very dead." "A couple of people can't move past it, don't want to move past it. We are not as united. Let me put it that way. We were united for 40 years over not talking about each other, not doing dirty, not, you know, all for one, one for all, and this kind of wrecked that, which is sad. Really sad," Cohn said. LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Mindy Cohn, Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields appeared in the special "Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes" in 2021. (Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images)
The "Palm Royale" star was asked who the "greedy b----" was among her co-stars — Whelchel, Kim Fields or Nancy McKeon. Cohn refused to say but hinted that her Instagram contained the answer, noting who she spends time with and who she doesn’t is clear. The hosts continued to attempt to guess, but they said Cohn wouldn't budge. WATCH: FACTS OF LIFE STAR LISA WHELCHEL EXPLAINS WHY SHE DIDN'T RELEASE MORE MUSIC AFTER HER '80S SOLO ALBUM At the end of the show, a caller suggested it was Whelchel, based on combing through Cohn’s Instagram. Cohn joked it was George Clooney, who appeared on the show early in his career. At the time, Cohn shared birthday messages to Fields and McKeon but not Whelchel on her Instagram. Representatives for Whelchel, McKeon, Fields and Cohn didn’t respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Charlotte Rae passed away in 2018 at age 92. (Getty Images)
A few days after Cohn’s interview, Whelchel posted a promo for her MeTV show, "Collector’s Call." Some fans chimed in with their support for her amid speculation about who caused the reboot to fall apart.
Lisa Whelchel shared the stage with Jennifer Aniston. (Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images)
"FYI I am Team Lisa," one person wrote. "You/Blair have been my favorite since I was a little kid…I really admire the class you’ve always shown including now. Lots of fans sending you support!" another person wrote. Whelchel liked both comments. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The cast of "The Facts Of Life" accept the Pop Culture Award onstage at the 9th Annual TV Land Awards at the Javits Center on April 10, 2011, in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/FilmMagic)
On "Jeff Lewis Live," Cohn said she accepts that the revival didn’t get off the ground. "No one wants to see us now," she said. "You know what’s cute? They want to see where you are now. They don’t want a show about it. Be honest." "It should stay where it is," Cohn shared. "… I think it’s so good where it is... This thing should stay wrapped."
Lisa Whelchel is seen here in an episode of "The Facts of Life" opposite George Clooney. (Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)
In 2022, Whelchel spoke to Fox News Digital about a possible reboot. "It’s a wonderful trip down memory lane," she said at the time. "… We’ve been talking about a reimagining of ‘Facts of Life’ and bringing it back again. Nothing is set yet, but it’s been really fun to talk about it. What I have brought to the table for those conversations is [that] I would love to see a little bit more acceptance of what reality looks like for a midlife woman." "… I’m about 15 pounds heavier than I was on ‘Facts of Life,’" she shared. "If we were to do a re-imagining of the show, I would really like my character to address the realities that we face when we get to a certain age." ‘FACTS OF LIFE’ STAR NANCY MCKEON SAID ‘THERE WAS A LOT’ OF SCRUTINY OVER CAST’S WEIGHT
Lisa Whelchel told Fox News Digital she wanted to give a realistic portrayal of her character today. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Whelchel noted she wanted to give a realistic portrayal of her character navigating life today. "You just get fluffier, and it’s really hard to lose weight, no matter what you do," she said. "Unless you want to devote your life to working out four hours a day and eating celery sticks, you’re going to look like a middle-aged woman. And I don’t want to hide from that. I don’t want to feel less than." "Actors and actresses on television and movies have personal trainers and personal chefs," she continued. "They devote their lives to looking a certain way. I’d like to look a bit more realistic. And I’m proud of my journey." WATCH: FACTS OF LIFE STAR LISA WHELCHEL SHARES HER FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM THE SET, NEW LIFE WITH ‘COLLECTORS CALL’ "The Facts of Life" aired from 1979 to 1988 on NBC, spinning off from the series "Diff’rent Strokes," both created by Lear. The sitcom has remained popular and beloved over the years, running in syndication for years on multiple networks.
In 2001, most of the cast reunited for "The Facts of Life Reunion" TV movie on ABC. The only missing member was McKeon, who had scheduling conflicts with her work on the Lifetime TV series "The Division."
Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Stanton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.
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