The trials of Adam Rich: 'Eight is Enough' star battled demons till his tragic death at 54
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Adam Rich, the famous child actor who starred as young Nicholas Bradford in the hit family sitcom 'Eight is Enough', recently died at age 54. Rich's relative revealed he died on Saturday, January 7, 2023. Law enforcement found him dead at his home in Brentwood. However, Rich's cause of death was not revealed and an investigation is ongoing. Moreover, police sources said they did not suspect foul play.
Rich made his first TV debut in a 1976 episode of 'The Six Million Dollar Man' before landing his hit role in 'Eight Is Enough' when he was just eight years old. The show revolved around "a family with eight very independent children," according to an IMDB synopsis. Following the show, the talented star was cast in numerous TV shows and movies until he suddenly decided to step away from the Hollywood limelight in the 1980s, opting to live as a recluse.
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Rest in Peace to Adam Rich who played little Nicholas Bradford on Eight Is Enough. Very sad news.
— Jermaine (@JermaineWatkins) January 8, 2023
October 12, 1968 🕊️ January 7, 2023 pic.twitter.com/QjOvIvIEzi
What happened to Adam Rich?
It is believed the child actor grew up with drug addiction. Rich was only 14 years old when he tried marijuana. At the age of 17, 'The City' actor decided to drop out of high school. However, Rich was arrested in 1991 after he allegedly broke into a pharmacy window in order to steal drugs, reported TV Line. He was later bailed out by actor Dick Van Patten who played the role of his father Tom Bradford in 'Eight is Enough'. Following his arrest in 1992, the voice actor for 'Dungeons And Dragons' booked himself into a drug rehabilitation program.
#RIPAdamRich #EightIsEnough
— Sanford&Son/The Jeffersons Fan Page (@SonAndPop) January 9, 2023
Adam Rich, former child star of 'Eight Is Enough,' dies at 54🌹 pic.twitter.com/uNgOvVsnTn
Furthermore, he was again arrested in 2002 for DUI charges which Rich denied, claiming he had been sober, according to CBS News. "I've been sober for 10 years," he had stated at the time. In 1996, Rich was part of a "death hoax" which involved the San Francisco magazine Might publishing a story that the former child star had been murdered, reported The Mirror. Interestingly, his tragic demise news was aired with Rich's consent. One of the magazine's writers, future novelist Dave Eggers, had written about the incident in his own 2000 book 'A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius'. The actor's last credit included a 2003 comedy titled 'Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star', in which the famed star played himself.