The fallen star: Where did the fairytale life go wrong for Heather Locklear?
Heather Locklear was the reigning queen of the 90s. With her shiny blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and a gorgeous smile, she was an epitome of American beauty in the era. Now, the 56-year-old is synonymous with tabloid headlines reading trouble. On June 18, Heather was reportedly hospitalized when she threatened to kill herself, after choking her mother and hitting her father. This isn't something new because tracing back to 2008, her series of troubles, personally, professionally and legally began. Once quoted saying; "I think I've always been good so God wouldn't strike me dead," has been reportedly trying to kill herself and we can only wonder where did it go all wrong?
Heather began modeling and working in commercials when she was a student in University of California, Los Angeles. But her career scaled in 1982, when she was cast as the determined police officer, Stacy Sheridan, on 'T.J. Hooker'. Her entry into Hollywood witnessed "it" romances with fine men including Tom Cruise, Mark Harmon, and Scott Baio.
When she was about 24 years old, she married 23-year-old Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, after a year of meeting. "I've only thought of getting married once," Locklear told People after the wedding at the Biltmore hotel in Santa Barbara. "I plan for this one to last." The couple looked happy and talked highly of each other and lived in a mansion in the San Fernando Valley.
But, the seven-year-itch hit the couple and they parted ways in 1993. The reason for the divorce was his hard-rocking lifestyle and he reportedly cheated on her. "I made a big mistake," he said to People in 2005. And years later, it did look like she forgave him as she posted a throwback picture with Lee in 2016 on what would have been their 30th wedding anniversary.
In the '90s however, a year after her divorce from Lee, she married Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora. They welcomed daughter Ava Elizabeth Sambora on October 4, 1997. The couple became one of Hollywood's most enduring couples with a rare rocker-actress relationship that actually worked. But then Heather's divorce papers came out of the blue in 2006, shocking even Sambora who had just denied the report that they were splitting up in an interview on the day she was filing the papers in L.A.
They settled to co-parent Ava but the relationship turned sour when Sambora started dating her friend Denise Richards, who had divorced Charlie Sheen at around the same time as they had split.
The actress did not let her personal life deter her. Though tabloid feasted on the ugly feud between two actresses. After wrapping up 'Melrose Place', she joined the cast of 'Spin City' from 1999 until 2002, starred on Fox airport drama 'LAX' and played Hilary Duff's mom in the rom-com 'The Perfect Man.' Even in 2007, she had numerous TV guest appearances, including on sitcom 'Rules of Engagement'. She even went on to date other fine men including David Spade and Jack Wagner, with whom she had a love-hate relationship with on 'Melrose Place'.
Sadly, by that time, Heather's career was stalled despite earning two Golden Globe nominations for her work on 'Spin City.' She struggled to repeat that success when the show ended in 2002 and her another sitcom 'Once Around the Park' never made it past the pilot stage.
In 2008, she was forced to take a break when on March of that year, her psychiatrist called paramedics to her home, reportedly fearing she had taken an overdose of prescription medication. Though that turned out to be a false alarm, Heather's name was etched on tabloids that scrutinized her every move. In June, she checked into an Arizona treatment center for anxiety and depression.
"She requested an in-depth evaluation of her medication and entered into a medical facility for proper diagnosis and treatment," her rep told the press at the time.
Four weeks later she was back at home and a source told news agency Bang Showbiz, "Heather is feeling really great. And she looks beautiful, just radiant. She seems happier—she told a really funny story and she laughed from her core. That's when I knew she was going to be fine. I think that's the best part of all—it's so nice to hear her laugh." The insider said that Heather was primarily excited to get home to Ava, who was 10 at the time.
Three months later, the September of 2008, Heather ran into trouble and got arrested for DUI and was later charged with driving under the influence of prescription medication. In January 2009, she pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless driving, avoiding a more severe charge, and was ordered to attend a 12-hour drug education course, fined $700 and sentenced to three years' informal probation.
Then two years later, in 2011, the Dynasty actress was arrested on a hit-and-run charge when she took off after hitting a parking sign with her vehicle, but she did not get prosecuted.
At that time, she was engaged to Wagner and they called off their engagement in November 2011. But in December of the same year, cops responded to a call about a physical altercation at Wagner's house. There was a thorough investigation but neither was arrested or charged.
In January 2012, Heather was briefly hospitalized after being admitted in an "agitated" state. Her sister had called 911, telling the operator she was worried Heather might hurt herself. Her family dismissed the suicide rumor and it was reported that she had mixed her prescription medication with alcohol and her sister had worried she might do something to herself. She was not forced into rehab by her family.
Heather had her own battles to fight and for the years following, she guest-starred on 'Hot in Cleveland', played in 'Scary Movie 5' and had a 10-episode arc on the TNT legal drama 'Franklin & Bash'. Her personal life also seemed happy as she was often spotted with Sambora vacationing as a family with their daughter.
Around 2015, she started dating a plastic surgeon Dr. Marc Mani and she looked fine as ever. 2016 was swift for her and when in 2017, rumors surfaced that she was in rehab again, she responded with a statement; "I am feeling great and am taking steps to enrich and better my life. Currently, I am working on tying up some loose ends regarding certain issues so I can hit 2017 full steam ahead."
In March, she was seen vacationing with Ava and ex, Sambora in Hawaii. In September, Heather was treated for minor injuries after she suffered a car crash near her home. Authorities were quick to clarify that neither drugs nor alcohol were involved.
"I'm home and good. Thank you for your concern!" she wrote on Instagram afterward.
In 2017 she had reconnected with a high school sweetheart, Chris Heisser, and she posted ample pictures of him and with him on social media.
"Happy Birthday to My first love and final love. Forever isn't long enough. Meet you there in 2 days," she wrote, about a week after her car accident. Everything looked well until Locklear was arrested on a charge of felony domestic violence, as well as three counts of misdemeanor battery on a peace officer on February 2018.
A Ventura County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told the press about the arrest; "She was uncooperative with deputies and battered our deputies."
"We conducted an investigation into the original call of the domestic disturbance and determined she had battered her boyfriend...She claimed prior to our arrival that she had been battered or injured. Although we did not see any evidence of that, out of an abundance of caution, she was transported to a hospital for evaluation."
The spokesperson further added that before the authorities arrived, "she was freaking out and texting her brother nonstop and wasn't making sense." Entertainment Tonight, noted that Heather has her family's support. "She grew up in Thousand Oaks and really did well in Hollywood, so she is the sweetheart of the family and they all rally around her. Her brother immediately headed over to the house. When he arrived, she and her boyfriend were fighting. It was a terrible scene."
Now, we are here in June of 2018, with another Heather headline. It's been a decade since her troubles started and fans have tried to trace it. If you see how she spurred to fame, there's one thing in common; Aaron Spelling. Three of Heather's biggest roles; 'Dynasty,' 'T.J. Hooker,' and 'Melrose Place' were made by famed producer Aaron Spelling, who basically ruled television in the '80s and '90s. It is said Heather's career might have never gotten this big had he not kept her on Melrose Place till its end in 1999.
When Spelling died in 2006, Locklear told People: "He called me his lucky penny, but I am the lucky one because he graced me with his encouragement and talent."
There might be multiple reasons why this series of unfortunate events are happening to Heather, but all we know is that she is a human, struggling to rise above her problems and we sure know it's not easy especially when people are watching. Heather may not have gotten her Melrose Place reboot but it's not too late for her to reclaim her crown with her blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and a gorgeous smile.