For many years, former “Different Strokes” star, Todd Bridges,’ name was synonymous with drugs, jail, child-star-gone-wild, and any other negative connotation you could think of…most of which was true. For years, many judged him, but there is a reason for his wild past. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey a few years ago, Todd tearfully explained what that reason is. Todd Bridges’ many problems all stem from the horrific sexual abuse he endured as a child and by that time, he was already a professional actor. He and his mom spoke out about just how bad things actually got between them and his sexual abuser (whom they also named). But what Todd said his Dad did AFTER he found out his son had been abused, was even worse, according to Todd.

BRIDGES RECALLS WHAT HAPPENED AFTER MOLESTER ABUSED HIM…

Todd Bridges revealed that he was sexually abused by his then male mentor/publicist. According to Todd, ‘Mr. Child molester’ used to push  him to ignore the many girl fans who adored him at age 11 and then the molester eventually proceeded to sexually abused Todd. Here’s what happened when Todd discussed this on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”:

Via Starpulse: Bridges started reading [a page from his book, “Killing Willis”] and lost his composure as he fought back tears: “He pulled my pants down. He put his mouth on me and I got hard. I didn’t know where to look or how to feel. I squirmed against the back of the seat… I hoped it would be over fast. That’s what happened; I came.”

He added, “As I confessed and I was upset about it, I liked the way that it felt. I didn’t think about whether or not it was wrong.” [Bridges] held his head in his hand and started crying as he put the book down and told Winfrey, “I’m past it but it still hurts because it ruined my life. I spent the rest of my time trying to cover up how I felt about it, that pain.”

Over time, Todd started lashing out at his molester and would get real violent, which raised red flags for his Mom:

Bridges…revealed his molester, a man named Ronald, tried to take the place of his father – and he had confusing moments where he just attacked the man who stole his innocence. The actor’s mother, who was in [Oprah’s] studio audience, revealed her son’s strange behavior struck a chord with her – because she had been molested as a child, also. Bridges explained, “My mother took me off of him. I think she knew right away what had happened.” -Starpulse

After his Mom quickly connected the dots, she innately reacted to protect her baby. She instantly picked up a knife, threatened the molester and chased him the hell out of her house! Then she called Todd’s dad and that’s when it went from BAD to WORSE…

‘MY DAD DIDN’T BELIEVE ME AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT’

Immediately after Todd’s mom chased the molester out of her house, she called Todd’s biological father and what he said to him next is something that cut Todd to the core. Todd said his Pops did NOT believe him when he got on the phone and told him the man had been sexually abusing him:

“That really destroyed me because my father was supposed to be my protector. He didn’t protect me,” Bridges told Oprah. Then he broke down again and said,  “He allowed this man to do this to me and didn’t help me. I have kids today (and) if my kids told me that, I’m going to jail; that guy’s dead. There’s no way he’s gonna live,” Bridges confessed.

Todd Bridges definitely earned my respect for being so forthcoming about what that monster did to him back in the day. At this point, I’m conflicted about who’s more of the monster though – his molester, or his pops? Real talk.

Then we wonder why some kids grow up to be jacked up adults…SMH. Much respect to Mr. Bridges for helping others by sharing his story.

The post Todd Bridges Boldly Revealed How He And His Mother Got Revenge On His Abuser appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

“Willis'” and “Charlene’s” romance wasn’t just an on-screen acting gig for Todd Bridges and Janet Jackson…it was realer than we thought back in the day, when we were watching their teen love on “Diff’rent Strokes.” It turns out Todd (then 17) and Janet (then 16) dated at that time, but it was Todd who ultimately decided to reject Janet and end things, but he had a very good reason for it.

In a past interview on the “Today Show,” Todd revealed that he and Janet were really diggin’ each other, but when Janet started making more aggressive advances toward him he backed away from her. I guess she wasn’t in that “Let’s Wait Awhile” frame of mind back then, LOL…I joke I joke, I kid I kid!.

Moving On…

Todd said although he and Janet were REALLY “in love” with each other, he had to reject her because he was doing what most teen boys would do in his position with a million groupie females chasing after them, willing to do any-and-everything they wanted…he was hookin’ up with chicks and then moving on to the next one…and the next one…and the next one. So Todd confessed that he had WAY too much respect for Janet to ever dog her out like that, so he had to back away when she wanted to take their relationship to the next level.

What Todd Revealed About Janet Jackson:

Here’s what Todd Bridges also revealed to Oprah about Janet:

“I backed away from her [Janet] because she was such a nice person and so good to me that I just couldn’t see myself hurting her like that… (but) we went out for a little while.”

Good lookin’ out Todd! And Besides, Janet had SIX brothers and a tough Pops who probably wouldn’t have took too well to you treating their precious sister and daughter like a ‘hit it and quit it.’

Now, Todd wasn’t like that with ALL of his celebrity hookups, in particular, his “Diff’rent Strokes” co-star, the late Dana Plato, whom he respected, but said that it was Dana who pursued him when he was 13 and she was 15. She was the first female he’d had sex with and he appreciated her for giving him his first heterosexual experience and letting him see that he was 100%, without a doubt heterosexual…

The reason Todd needed that confirmation was because at that time, his young mind was confused after having been repeatedly sexually molested at age 11 by his then-male publicist/mentor. It took Todd many years to get over that pain, as you could imagine and his molester should have been put UNDER a jail in my opinion.

In regards to his past situation with Dana, Todd said that they would hook up, but it wasn’t anything too serious and that he was still getting with a bunch of other girls.

But again, Janet was different to him and he’s glad that he followed his heart and not his lust when it came to Janet “Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty” Damito Jo Jackson.

Todd talks about all of this in his book, “Killing Willis,” which is a VERY good read by the way.

The post Todd Bridges Revealed Why He Rejected Janet Jackson…But Not His Co-Star, Dana Plato appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

For many years, former “Different Strokes” star, Todd Bridges,’ name was synonymous with drugs, jail, child-star-gone-wild, and any other negative connotation you could think of…most of which was true. For years, many judged him, but there is a reason for his wild past. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey a few years ago, Todd tearfully explained what that reason is. Todd Bridges’ many problems all stem from the horrific sexual abuse he endured as a child and by that time, he was already a professional actor. He and his mom spoke out about just how bad things actually got between them and his sexual abuser (whom they also named). But what Todd said his Dad did AFTER he found out his son had been abused, was even worse, according to Todd.

BRIDGES RECALLS WHAT HAPPENED AFTER MOLESTER ABUSED HIM…

Todd Bridges revealed that he was sexually abused by his then male mentor/publicist. According to Todd, ‘Mr. Child molester’ used to push  him to ignore the many girl fans who adored him at age 11 and then the molester eventually proceeded to sexually abused Todd. Here’s what happened when Todd discussed this on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”:

Via Starpulse: Bridges started reading [a page from his book, “Killing Willis”] and lost his composure as he fought back tears: “He pulled my pants down. He put his mouth on me and I got hard. I didn’t know where to look or how to feel. I squirmed against the back of the seat… I hoped it would be over fast. That’s what happened; I came.”

 

He added, “As I confessed and I was upset about it, I liked the way that it felt. I didn’t think about whether or not it was wrong.” [Bridges] held his head in his hand and started crying as he put the book down and told Winfrey, “I’m past it but it still hurts because it ruined my life. I spent the rest of my time trying to cover up how I felt about it, that pain.”

Over time, Todd started lashing out at his molester and would get real violent, which raised red flags for his Mom:

Bridges…revealed his molester, a man named Ronald, tried to take the place of his father – and he had confusing moments where he just attacked the man who stole his innocence. The actor’s mother, who was in [Oprah’s] studio audience, revealed her son’s strange behavior struck a chord with her – because she had been molested as a child, also. Bridges explained, “My mother took me off of him. I think she knew right away what had happened.” -Starpulse

After his Mom quickly connected the dots, she innately reacted to protect her baby. She instantly picked up a knife, threatened the molester and chased him the hell out of her house! Then she called Todd’s dad and that’s when it went from BAD to WORSE…

‘MY DAD DIDN’T BELIEVE ME AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT’

Immediately after Todd’s mom chased the molester out of her house, she called Todd’s biological father and what he said to him next is something that cut Todd to the core. Todd said his Pops did NOT believe him when he got on the phone and told him the man had been sexually abusing him:

“That really destroyed me because my father was supposed to be my protector. He didn’t protect me,” Bridges told Oprah. Then he broke down again and said,  “He allowed this man to do this to me and didn’t help me. I have kids today (and) if my kids told me that, I’m going to jail; that guy’s dead. There’s no way he’s gonna live,” Bridges confessed.

Todd Bridges definitely earned my respect for being so forthcoming about what that monster did to him back in the day. At this point, I’m conflicted about who’s more of the monster though – his molester, or his pops? Real talk.

Then we wonder why some kids grow up to be jacked up adults…SMH. Much respect to Mr. Bridges for helping others by sharing his story.

The post Todd Bridges Boldly Detailed How He And His Mother Got Revenge On His Sexual Abuser appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

“Willis'” and “Charlene’s” romance wasn’t just an on-screen acting gig for Todd Bridges and Janet Jackson…it was realer than we thought back in the day, when we were watching their teen love on “Diff’rent Strokes.” It turns out Todd (then 17) and Janet (then 16) dated at that time, but it was Todd who ultimately decided to reject Janet and end things, but he had a very good reason for it.

In a past interview on the “Today Show,” Todd revealed that he and Janet were really diggin’ each other, but when Janet started making more aggressive advances toward him he backed away from her. I guess she wasn’t in that “Let’s Wait Awhile” frame of mind back then, LOL…I joke I joke, I kid I kid!.

Moving On…

Todd said although he and Janet were REALLY “in love” with each other, he had to reject her because he was doing what most teen boys would do in his position with a million groupie females chasing after them, willing to do any-and-everything they wanted…he was hookin’ up with chicks and then moving on to the next one…and the next one…and the next one. So Todd confessed that he had WAY too much respect for Janet to ever dog her out like that, so he had to back away when she wanted to take their relationship to the next level.

What Todd Revealed About Janet Jackson:

Here’s what Todd Bridges also revealed to Oprah about Janet:

“I backed away from her [Janet] because she was such a nice person and so good to me that I just couldn’t see myself hurting her like that… (but) we went out for a little while.”

Good lookin’ out Todd! And Besides, Janet had SIX brothers and a tough Pops who probably wouldn’t have took too well to you treating their precious sister and daughter like a ‘hit it and quit it.’

Now, Todd wasn’t like that with ALL of his celebrity hookups, in particular, his “Diff’rent Strokes” co-star, the late Dana Plato, whom he respected, but said that it was Dana who pursued him when he was 13 and she was 15. She was the first female he’d had sex with and he appreciated her for giving him his first heterosexual experience and letting him see that he was 100%, without a doubt heterosexual…

The reason Todd needed that confirmation was because at that time, his young mind was confused after having been repeatedly sexually molested at age 11 by his then-male publicist/mentor. It took Todd many years to get over that pain, as you could imagine and his molester should have been put UNDER a jail in my opinion.

In regards to his past situation with Dana, Todd said that they would hook up, but it wasn’t anything too serious and that he was still getting with a bunch of other girls.

But again, Janet was different to him and he’s glad that he followed his heart and not his lust when it came to Janet “Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty” Damito Jo Jackson.

Todd talks about all of this in his book, “Killing Willis,” which is a VERY good read by the way.

The post Todd Bridges Explained Why He Rejected Janet Jackson…But Not His Co-Star, Dana Plato appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

ILOSM family, do y’all remember “Dudley?” He was the cool best friend of Gary Coleman’s character, “Arnold Jackson,” on the 80’s classic sitcom, Diff’rent Strokes. Shavar Ross is the actor who brought the “Dudley” character to life. While many know Ross from Diff’rent Strokes, that wasn’t his only acting job.

Shavar reunited again with Gary for the 1980’s movie Scout’s Honor. From there, he went on to act in other projects. Ross had a recurring role as T.C.’s son on the detective drama Magnum, P.I. and another recurring role on the series, Family Matters, as “Weasel.” He even took another stab at movies, starring in the fifth installment of Friday the 13th. Now that we’re pretty caught up on who the actor behind the “Dudley” character is, lets talk about what Shavar -the man- recently revealed about what New Edition’s Michael Bivins once did for him that he’ll never forget.

What Mike Bivins Did For Him:

While Ross developed a love for acting, he took a break from it and explored a career in ministry. Ross completed four years of Bible School at The Ministry Training Institute. Pursuing his education was a struggle, but he didn’t forget the people who helped him along the way. In 2017, he publicly shared a story about one of those people- New Edition’s Mike Bivins.

In his now deleted Instagram post, Shavar revealed that years ago, after the checks stopped rolling in from his acting days, he’d fallen on hard times and he broke down what Mike Bivins did for him at that time: One day -Shavar Ross, whose face was known everywhere- was sitting at the bus stop on his way to class to prepare for finals. He had sold his BMW to help his mother who needed the money. Without any transportation, Ross had no choice but to take the bus. To his surprise, someone recognized him. It was Michael Bivins with his then artist, rapper MC Brains. Shocked to see Ross at the bus stop, Bivins called him “Dudley” and told him to hop in. Because of Bivins, Ross was able to make it to his test on time. Although it seemed like a simple gesture, it was extremely humbling for the dude who was once a television superstar. Ross never forgot the kindness that Bivins showed him and he praised him for helping him to achieve his Associates of Arts degree.

Wow, Shavar’s recollection proves yet again that we never know what celebrities are dealing with behind closed doors. It also proves that not only does Shavar have a great level of resiliency after going through that humbling experience, it also proves that Mike Bivins and MC Brains have  compassionate hearts. They didn’t clown the brotha about falling from superstardom so to speak, they showed him the respect he’s earned, without judgement regarding his circumstances at that time.

What Shavar Ross Is Doing Now

Shavar resides in Los Angeles and has been married since 1992 with two children. Shavar operates his own film and television production company called Tri-Seven Entertainment. Through his production company, he continues to produce, write and direct his own material, independent of the mainstream studio system.

Ross is still apart of the entertainment industry. In addition to his entertainment company, Ross started his own personal blog. Shavar compared his blogs to making movies as he likes to edit them and include video footage. While he has two young children, he’s not sure if he wants them to pursue an entertainment career.

In this business you’re only as good as your last job. At least get an education even if it’s to learn how to manage your own money. Either way, I’d be there to guide my kids if it ever happened but I’m not actively trying to get my kids in the entertainment business, Ross shared with The Urban Daily.

The post Beautiful: Diff’rent Strokes’ “Dudley” Tells What Mike Bivins Did For Him When He Was Broke appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

It’s been an odd few days for Todd Bridges a.k.a. “Willis” from “Diff’rent Strokes.” He’s going through some MAJOR drama with his ex-girlfriends, one of which is an adult film star and another one who has just randomly surfaced outta nowhere. The former lovebirds are accusing each other of some crazy crap and it involves weaponry, pets, and restraining orders.

Restraining Orders, Weapons, Pets…Oh My!!!

So, it was just a few days ago that we reported about the restraining order Todd Bridges was granted against his pornstar ex-girlfriend, Melissa Hill. As of August 16, 2018, in an odd turn of events, his other ex-girlfriend, Tiffany Wolf, has been granted a restraining order of her own…and it’s against Todd. The judge has now ordered him to stay 100 yards away from her and her pets, just as Todd’s other ex was ordered to do in his restraining order.

The Blast has reported that Todd is being accused of attempting to scare the hell outta Tiffany:

According to [Tiffany] Wolf, she met Bridges on a dating site and she claims that during their second date, he “took out taser and zapped it several times inches from my face.” Apparently undeterred by that incident, Wolf continued to see Bridges and claims the first time she spent the night at his house, he showed her a crossbow and “quickly removed the gun & bullets under his pillow.” She also claims that Bridges told her he “had beaten up homeless people trying to break into his house.” A few weeks later, Wolf claims Bridges pointed the crossbow at her and then two weeks later “pulled gun on dog because he thought someone was breaking in.” She also claims he told her that “he had shot someone before & did not know whether they lived or died.”

But wait…there’s more. According to the report, Tiffany claims she broke out in anxiety-induced shingles, that has caused her to now be placed on anti-anxiety medication, due to Todd’s alleged threats. The whole meds claim comes after she says she stuck a fork in their relationship in May 2018 and began getting harassing tweets from Todd by July. Wolf also claims that Todd’s best friend has been talking about her online, following the breakup.

Embed from Getty Images

Via The Blast: As a result, Wolf says she broke out in shingles and has gone on anti-anxiety meds. “I am in fear of my life because I know Todd is mentally unstable and has weapons,” she writes, “including a crossbow he says he has so he can ‘sneak up on people’ and a small loaded gun.”

Bridges was also ordered to stay 100 yards away from Wolf’s cat and dog because she fears “he might harm them in retaliation for my police report and TRO request.”

Now…if you saw our last report about Todd Bridges’ restraining order, then it may seem like you’re experiencing a bad case of déjà vu. You’re not. Ya’ see, Tiffany Wolf’s claims are damn near identical to the claims Todd made in his restraining order against his other ex, Melissa Hill, days ago. In his claims, Todd said Melissa was harassing him somethin’ SERIOUS and that he was terrified that Melissa “will attack my dog if she’s not able to get to me. She could easily throw poisoned food over my fence.”

Not sure why there are so many similarities between the two restraining orders, but according to Todd’s team, they’re a result of both of his exes working together to “harass him.” Todd also admits to owning a crossbow, but is adamant that he never used it to threaten his ex. And the saga continues, I suppose.

The post After Todd Bridges Gets Restraining Order, Another Ex Makes Odd Claims Against Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Shavar reunited again with Gary for the 1980’s movie Scout’s Honor. From there, he went on to act in other projects. Ross had a recurring role as T.C.’s son on the detective drama Magnum, P.I. and another recurring role on the series, Family Matters, as “Weasel.” He even took another stab at movies, starring in the fifth installment of Friday the 13th. Now that we’re pretty caught up on who the actor behind the “Dudley” character is, lets talk about what Shavar -the man- recently revealed about what New Edition’s Michael Bivins once did for him that he’ll never forget.

What Mike Bivins Did For Him:

While Ross developed a love for acting, he took a break from it and explored a career in ministry. Ross completed four years of Bible School at The Ministry Training Institute. Pursuing his education was a struggle, but he didn’t forget the people who helped him along the way. In 2017, he publicly shared a story about one of those people- New Edition’s Mike Bivins.

Embed from Getty Images

In his now deleted Instagram post, Shavar revealed that years ago, after the checks stopped rolling in from his acting days, he’d fallen on hard times and he broke down what Mike Bivins did for him at that time: One day -Shavar Ross, whose face was known everywhere- was sitting at the bus stop on his way to class to prepare for finals. He had sold his BMW to help his mother who needed the money. Without any transportation, Ross had no choice but to take the bus. To his surprise, someone recognized him. It was Michael Bivins with his then artist, rapper MC Brains. Shocked to see Ross at the bus stop, Bivins called him “Dudley” and told him to hop in. Because of Bivins, Ross was able to make it to his test on time. Although it seemed like a simple gesture, it was extremely humbling for the dude who was once a television superstar. Ross never forgot the kindness that Bivins showed him and he praised him for helping him to achieve his Associates of Arts degree.

Wow, Shavar’s recollection proves yet again that we never know what celebrities are dealing with behind closed doors. It also proves that not only does Shavar have a great level of resiliency after going through that humbling experience, it also proves that Mike Bivins and MC Brains have  compassionate hearts. They didn’t clown the brotha about falling from superstardom so to speak, they showed him the respect he’s earned, without judgement regarding his circumstances at that time.

What Shavar Ross Is Doing Now

Embed from Getty Images

Shavar resides in Los Angeles and has been married since 1992 with two children. Shavar operates his own film and television production company called Tri-Seven Entertainment. Through his production company, he continues to produce, write and direct his own material, independent of the mainstream studio system.

Ross is still apart of the entertainment industry. In addition to his entertainment company, Ross started his own personal blog. Shavar compared his blogs to making movies as he likes to edit them and include video footage. While he has two young children, he’s not sure if he wants them to pursue an entertainment career.

In this business you’re only as good as your last job. At least get an education even if it’s to learn how to manage your own money. Either way, I’d be there to guide my kids if it ever happened but I’m not actively trying to get my kids in the entertainment business, Ross shared with The Urban Daily.

The post Wow, Diff’rent Strokes’ ‘Dudley’ Tells What Mike Bivins Did For Him When He Was Broke appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Meet Todd Bridges’ Mother, Betty A. Bridges

Who remembers ‘The Nude’ episode on “Good Times?” That was the ep’ where the Evans’ sexy neighbor, ‘Charlene’ (played by Todd Bridges’ mother, Betty A. Bridges), wanted ‘J.J.’ to paint a nude portrait of her as a gift to her husband, ‘Calvin’ (played by Carl Weathers). ‘Charlene’ was known around the neighborhood as “The Wiggler,” because of her perfectly shaped figure in ALL of the right places.

**

That episode was one of the funniest ever, because it was also one of the few times where we got to see ‘Florida’ check “James” for staring at another woman. Remember that? After ‘Florida’ found out ‘Charlene’ wanted to get butt naked in their living room, she was like ‘HELL to the nah!’ and made ‘The Wiggler’ keep her bikini on. To put the icing on the cake, ‘Charlene’ then asked ‘James,’ “Mr. Evans is this a good pose?” to which James replied with a resounding, “Yes Lawd!”  ‘Florida’ then gave ‘James’ that mean muggin’ side eye, to snap him back to reality though. After ‘J.J.’ completed the portrait, ‘Charlene’s’ husband showed up and was shocked to find his wife in a bikini with another man present. That’s when he was about to snap ‘J.J’ in two, until ‘James’ stepped in.

Now that we’ve taken a trip down memory lane with that episode, we can all pick our jaws up off the floor at the fact that “Charlene” a.k.a. ‘The Wiggler’ is actually ‘Willis” a.k.a. Todd Bridges’ REAL mother! Ain’t that something?

Todd Bridges & Mother Appear On “Oprah Show” To Discuss His Struggles

Some of you might recall seeing Todd and his Mom, Betty A. Bridges, on a 2010 episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Todd talked with Oprah about his past drug abuse and credited his Mother with being the the person to help him finally kick his addiction.

Todd Bridges’ Actor Siblings

Here’s some more interesting tidbits of info about their family- several of them are in entertainment. Todd wasn’t the only actor in his house- his sister, Verda Bridges, was an actress who had small roles in the 80’s film, House Party and other films in the 80s and 90s…

Todd’s brother, Jimmy Bridges, is an actor and director, who has appeared on Good Times, What’s Happening, Night Rider, Diff’rent Strokes, Beverly Hills 90210 and a bunch of other TV shows and films.

I tell ya’ we learn something new ’round here everyday ILOSM fam!’ Pretty sure Betty A. Bridges couldn’t be more proud of her babies.

The post Todd Bridges’ Real Mother Starred In A Popular “Good Times” Episode That Fans Loved appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

[kkgallery kid=”3158″ title=”OMG! Jordan’s “Space Jam” ‘Daughter’ Is GROWN Now &Her Uncle’s A FAMOUS Actor”]

The post OMG! Jordan’s “Space Jam” ‘Daughter’ Is GROWN Now &Her UNCLE’S A FAMOUS ACTOR appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

He also went on to star in several episodes of Family Matters and other shows, but fast forward to today and Shavar is a 44 year old man with two children of his own. He has chosen a VERY different career path that surprised the hell out of us. Tap the ‘next’ button and see what the brotha’s been up to these days…

The post “Dudley” From “Diff’rent Strokes” Is GROWN w/Kids & A New Job! Must See appeared first on I Love Old School Music.