Adam Rich from 'Eight Is Enough' Died Weeks after Tweet about People Pretending 'To Be OK'

• Adam Rich died at 54: he was the youngest star of "Eight Is Enough."

• He stopped his childhood career to lead a private life away from Hollywood.

• Forty-two years have passed since the last series of "Eight Is Enough": the show's actors now have new lives.

Former child star Adam Rich sadly passed away on January 7, 2023. The "Eight Is Enough" alum died at age 54, and a relative revealed that he took his last breath at his Los Angeles home.

Police officers disclosed they discovered Rich unresponsive at his residence. Although a family member did not reveal the cause of death, officials believe there was no foul play.

Rich was born in October 1968 in Brooklyn, New York. He was mostly known for playing the youngest member of the family, Nicholas Bradford, in the American popular TV show, "Eight Is Enough," which aired from 1977 to 1981.

The series had five seasons and followed "a family with eight very independent children." Rich starred in the ABC sitcom from the age of eight in the late 1970s.

After the show ended, the Hollywood star appeared in the drama series, "Code Red" which only ran for one season from 1981 to 1982. Rich was also a voice actor in the animated series, "Dungeons & Dragons" and later starred in the 1997 movie, "The City."

The child star's acting career began after learning the ropes from his drama teacher at Chatsworth High School. However, after succeeding in Hollywood, Rich stepped away from the entertainment industry in the '80s to lead a private life.

What Happened to Rich after the End of the Series?

Though he lived most of his adult life away from the spotlight, Rich had a social media presence over the years in which he discussed his life's struggles, including dealing with depression. He frankly revealed how "toxic" it was on the platform:

“[…] At one point, I was getting into feuds with some of the MAGA celebrities and I was, like, enduring all this hate."

Rich explained he decided to speak openly about his mental health after realizing that many other people were also going through the same thing. Throughout the ordeal, he discovered that talking about it was his primary "purpose."

Rich revealed he was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in his early 30s. He learned about the diagnosis when he stopped working behind the scenes.

He had also been involved in a relationship and planned on getting married and having children. Unfortunately, things "ended abruptly." Rich admitted when the relationship ended, the experience "broke" him, and he had not been himself since then.

He shared that 7 percent of those diagnosed with MDD, only 2 to 3 percent are "treatment resistant," and he sadly falls in that category.

Rich was initially "in denial" after learning about his diagnosis and refused to take medication because of the effect they had on him:

"It was terrible."

After experiencing immense pain and suffering, he snapped out of it and started paying more attention to doctors' orders, ultimately giving in to taking the medication.

In September 2022, Rich tweeted that humans are not meant to experience such a daunting illness, adding it takes strong-willed individuals to face such circumstances.

In December 2022, the "Benji at Work" star said people suffering from mental health tend to act like everything is okay when it is not. He urged them to end the "stigma" and to live their truth.

The Cast of 'Eight Is Enough': What Happened to Them after 42 Years?

While he lived most of his adult life away from Hollywood amid dealing with personal battles, one wonders where the rest of Rich's former "Eight Is Enough" castmates are now.

Actor Dick Van Patten, who played Tom Bradford in "Eight Is Enough," later became the founder of a pet food company and published a book titled "Eighty Is Not Enough." Sadly, he died in June 2015.

Meanwhile, Susan Richardson, who portrayed Susan Bradford, is now a retired actress and previously battled drug addiction. Notably, she did not partake in the show's 2010 cast reunion, and in April 2016, she was reported to be working at a nursing home in Pennsylvania.

Lani O'Grady, who played Mary Bradford, retired from acting after 1982 but returned to reprise her role in "Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion" (1987) and "Eight Is Enough Wedding" (1989).

O'Grady, unfortunately, passed away in 2001, reportedly following an accidental drug overdose. She had been battling drug addiction for years.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Subscribe to AmoMama on Google News!