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‘That 70′s Show’ Star Lisa Robin Kelly Dead at 43: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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The actress Lisa Robin Kelly has tragically died in her sleep at a rehab facility on Wednesday night, reports TMZ.

Kelly had checked into rehab this week and vowed to get clean. Most fans will remember her from her role as Laurie Forman in That 70’s Show. Her character famously broke up Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ characters, equipped with her promiscuous attitude and Farrah Fawcett hairstyle. Her career suffered in her later years as she struggled with alcohol and other personal issues.

Here’s what you need to know…

1. She Passed Away in Her Sleep

Kelly had checked into a rehab facility in the past week in an attempt to get her life back on the track. Her agent, Rabbi Craig Wyckoff told TMZ:

She had been fighting demons for a while and finally lost her battle.

An update from the gossip site says that Kelly’s boyfriend brought her to the facility on Monday and that Kelly was found dead of a heart attack on Wednesday night. TMZ adds that paramedics found her with needle marks in her arm but there was a reasonable explanation:

However, her BF tells us the reason for the needle marks is that he took Lisa to a hospital on Sunday — because she had a .34 blood alcohol level … and nurses made multiple attempts to insert a needle into her vein to extract blood.

After several attempts, medical personnel were able to use a vein on the top of Lisa’s wrist.

Kelly pictured with her agent Rabbi Craig Wyckoff. (Facebook)

Wyckoff issued a statement saying:

Lisa had voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility early this week where she was battling the addiction problems that have plagued her these past few years. I spoke to her on Monday and she was hopeful and confident, looking forward to putting this part of her life behind her. (Wednesday) night she lost the battle. Cause of death has not been issued yet and no death certificate has been issued either.

2. Kelly Was Arrested For a DUI in June

She had four arrests in the past three years for charges ranging from DUI to assault. Her latest arrest came in late June when she was arrested for drinking behind the wheel. In November 2012 she was arrested for assault in North Carolina.

Her mugshot gained infamy after it went viral, Kelly told ABC about her embarrassment:

My poor mother has to see that picture. That’s not what I look like. That’s not me.

3. Her Divorce Stated Assault by Both Partners

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On July 5 she had filed for divorce from her husband Robert Gilliam, 61. Heavy.com reported back in July:

The relationship has been rocky since its beginning, with Kelly being arrested for domestic abuse last August and then again with Gilliam in November. This does not a happy marriage make.

4. Most Will Remember Her From ‘That 70’s Show’


Kelly is most famous for her role as Eric Foreman’s devilish sister, Laurie Forman, in the hit Fox sitcom That 70’s Show. Kelly described her love of the character:

I love the character that I play! It is perfect for me because Laurie and I have a lot in common. Like being flirtatious and being manipulative with Dad, and having a combative relationship with my brother.

She was ultimately fired from the role and replaced when her personal life began to interfere with her job. In 2012 she opened up to ABC about the circumstances of her leaving the show when she revealed she had a miscarriage:

I had lost a baby, as a result of that I lost it. I lost everything and I was abusing alcohol.

She was dropped from the show while it was at its apex in 2003, she was fired but brought back two years later for a few episodes before being axed permanently when her role was recast. She was replaced as Laurie by Christina Moore.

5. Her Personal Life Greatly Affected Her Acting Career

Kelly made her first TV appearance on an episode of Married With Children, she also starred in shows like The X-Files and Charmed. Her X-Files episode, “Syzygy,” also starred Ryan Reynolds.

Her career tailed off toward the end of her life and she struggled with alcohol issues. She told ABC about her attempts at a comeback in 2012:

I am not running from this, I have paid my dues and if I can make it through this I can make it through anything.

She posted this to her Facebook page in December 2012:

In November 2012 she posted this photo of herself as a child on her Facebook page:

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The troubled actress died in her sleep at a rehab facility.