Lisa Whelchel desires to get the information straight on what actually occurred to the “Facts of Life” reboot.
The actress spoke to Nearer Weekly a yr after co-star Mindy Cohn claimed plans fell aside because of an unnamed “greedy b—-.”
“We were all very, very disappointed that it didn’t work,” the 61-year-old, who performed Blair Warner, informed the outlet.
‘FACTS OF LIFE’ STAR SAYS REBOOT SABOTAGED BY ‘GREEDY B—-‘
Lisa Whelchel starred as Blair Warner in “The Facts of Life.” (Getty Photographs)
“We’d been trying to find a way to work together in some capacity for probably the last 10 years,” Whelchel defined. “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 harassed.
Norman Lear handed away in 2023 at age 101. (Getty Photographs)
Rae, who performed a sensible and affected person housemother to a brood of teenage women, died in 2018 at age 92. Lear handed 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 Inexperienced, Charlotte Rae as Edna Garrett. (NBC/NBCU Picture Financial institution/Getty Photographs)
A yr later, Cohn was on Sirius XM’s “Jeff Lewis Live,” the place she revealed a “greedy b—-” was responsible for reboot plans being shelved.
Cohn defined that after the success of an ABC particular, “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 each exhibits, together with Jennifer Aniston in Whelchel’s function, Lear reached out to the forged.
Mindy Cohn performed Natalie Inexperienced in “The Facts of Life.” (Getty Photographs)
“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 mentioned.
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Mindy Cohn attends SiriusXM Studios on March 22, 2024, in New York Metropolis. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Photographs)
Requested what occurred, Cohn replied, “What happened was not cute. Yeah… There was drama.”
“More than that,” Cohn mentioned. “[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.
Followers shortly speculated that Mindy Cohn was speaking about Lisa Whelchel. (NBCU Picture Financial institution/NBCUniversal by way of Getty Photographs by way of Getty Photographs)
The 58-year-old mentioned the actresses didn’t discuss “for a while and now we do-ish, but there’s definitely, it was an ouch.”
She added that there’s “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 mentioned.
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Mindy Cohn, Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields appeared within the particular “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes” in 2021. (Christopher Willard/ABC by way of Getty Photographs)
The “Palm Royale” star was requested who the “greedy b—-” was amongst her co-stars — Whelchel, Kim Fields or Nancy McKeon.
Cohn refused to say however hinted that her Instagram contained the reply, noting who she spends time with and who she doesn’t is evident.
The hosts continued to try to guess, however they mentioned Cohn would not budge.
WATCH: FACTS OF LIFE STAR LISA WHELCHEL EXPLAINS WHY SHE DIDN’T RELEASE MORE MUSIC AFTER HER ’80S SOLO ALBUM
On the finish of the present, a caller urged it was Whelchel, based mostly on combing by Cohn’s Instagram. Cohn joked it was George Clooney, who appeared on the present early in his profession.
On the time, Cohn shared birthday messages to Fields and McKeon however not Whelchel on her Instagram. Representatives for Whelchel, McKeon, Fields and Cohn didn’t reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.
Charlotte Rae handed away in 2018 at age 92. (Getty Photographs)
A couple of days after Cohn’s interview, Whelchel posted a promo for her MeTV present, “Collector’s Call.” Some followers chimed in with their assist for her amid hypothesis about who precipitated the reboot to disintegrate.
Lisa Whelchel shared the stage with Jennifer Aniston. (Christopher Willard/ABC by way of Getty Photographs)
“FYI I am Team Lisa,” one particular 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!” one other particular person wrote.
Whelchel preferred each feedback.
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The forged of “The Facts Of Life” settle for the Pop Tradition Award onstage on the ninth Annual TV Land Awards on the Javits Middle on April 10, 2011, in New York Metropolis. (Picture by Andrew H. Walker/FilmMagic)
On “Jeff Lewis Live,” Cohn mentioned she accepts that the revival didn’t get off the bottom.
“No one wants to see us now,” she mentioned. “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 right here in an episode of “The Facts of Life” reverse George Clooney. (Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Picture Financial institution/Getty Photographs)
In 2022, Whelchel spoke to Fox Information Digital a few potential reboot.
“It’s a wonderful trip down memory lane,” she mentioned on 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 informed Fox Information Digital she wished to present a sensible portrayal of her character right this moment. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Photographs)
Whelchel famous she wished to present a sensible portrayal of her character navigating life right this moment.
“You just get fluffier, and it’s really hard to lose weight, no matter what you do,” she mentioned. “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 collection “Diff’rent Strokes,” each created by Lear. The sitcom has remained widespread and beloved through the years, operating in syndication for years on a number of networks.
In 2001, many of the forged reunited for “The Facts of Life Reunion” TV film on ABC. The one lacking member was McKeon, who had scheduling conflicts along with her work on the Lifetime TV collection “The Division.”
Fox Information Digital’s Elizabeth Stanton and The Related Press contributed to this report.
