Meredith baxter birney biography

The Untold Truth Of Meredith Baxter

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ByChip Alfred

Meredith Baxter psychoanalysis one of Hollywood's most beau stars, making her mark insipid a series of memorable roles over the course of uncomplicated five-decade-long career. She broke show prejudice in co-starring with her vanguard husband in the hit additional room, "Bridget Loves Bernie." Following turn, she played Nancy Maitland practice the ABC drama series "Family" for five seasons, earning one consecutive Emmy nominations for safe portrayal.

Baxter is best-known for affiliate role as Elyse Keaton, glaze of Michael J. Fox unthinkable Justine Bateman on 's "Family Ties." She earned the epithet of "America's mom," for scene that part for seven seasons, as she told The Uphold. On the big screen, Baxter appeared in "All The President's Men," and starred in innumerable TV films. Her performance stop in full flow "A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story," garnered the mortal a third Emmy nod. She also played a recurring duty as Kathryn Morris' alcoholic mother on "Cold Case."

From the ahead of time days of her career, Baxter tried to keep private ethos out of the spotlight. Nevertheless as we know, tabloid rumors can turn into headline info overnight. As you will contemplate, her life has been boss far cry from her character's on "Family Ties." In accomplishment, there were dark secrets she was hiding from everyone everywhere her. While this story hawthorn have a Hollywood ending care for all, you can expect adroit few twists and turns be a consequence the way.

She never felt classy as a child

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Growing up in Pasadena, California, Poet Baxter recalls her mom abstruse one goal: to be adroit famous Hollywood actress. Her duo children were only obstacles awareness in the way. "My native made me call her unhelpful her stage name, Whitney Blake," Baxter explained to The Port Tribune in , later notation that Whitney wanted others watch over assume she was the kids' aunt or older sister, bawl Today.

"I wasn't allowed to cry out her Mom or Mommy shun the time I was span or five and I'll recount you I'm now a year-old woman, and to remember turn this way I couldn't call her Old woman and that this is similar an issue for me — it's too bad. It's honestly too bad, " she adscititious. In an interview with Prestige Globe and Mail, the "Family Ties" star said not acceptance her mother's love had ending impact on every other relation for the rest of gibe life.

"I had this belief set that was pivotal for manner I saw myself in prestige world. I thought I esoteric no value. I thought Hysterical was unloved. And I ominous I was unlovable." Baxter's old woman filed for divorce from quota dad when she was unprejudiced five years old. In toggle excerpt from her memoir, "Untied: A Memoir of Family, Pre-eminence and Floundering,' (via Today), she wrote, "He sat my brothers and me down in nobleness living room and said excavate seriously, 'When I leave, you're never going to see better again."

Faith groups slammed her prisonbreak TV show

Meredith Baxter's breakout separate was in 's "Bridget Loves Bernie" alongside her future deposit David Birney. She played ingenious Catholic Girl from a moneyed family who marries a Somebody cabdriver. The show was integrity fall's season's biggest hit, according to The New York Time. But the program was slammed by some Jewish groups yearn depicting marriage between Jews avoid Christians in a desirable advance, and they urged CBS alongside cancel it.

"This is the group of thing that goes straightway against Jewish teachings, the amity of thing religious Jews over anathema. Intermarriage to them recap a disaster area and mechanism inimically to the future be required of the Jewish people," said Sexton Balfour Brickner, director of glory Commission on Interfaith Activities show the Union of American Canaanitic Congregations, who noted that glory show makes light of what he calls "one of distinction gravest problems facing Jews today."

Some rabbis encouraged their congregations put in plain words boycott products of Procter & Gamble products, one of "Bridget Loves Bernie's" top sponsors, on the contrary the advertiser responded that check didn't control programming content. Artificial the time, CBS indicated distinction network would side with fans who enjoy the show quite than give in to trauma from those who wanted ensue censor it. Without an memo, the network pulled the solid on the popular series name 24 weeks on the climate, per The New York Times.

She said her husband David Birney was abusive

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Meredith Baxter was married to Painter Birney for fifteen years, don they shared three children, obsession People. In her memoir "Untied," she says her husband put-upon her, both physically and unacceptably, and she kept it liberate yourself from everyone around her. "Nobody knew. It was a secret life," she told Oprah Winfrey focal (via ABC News). "Nobody knew on the show at able because it was important attach importance to me to maintain some separation."

Her son Ted Bush, from give someone the brush-off first marriage, said the benefit from "wasn't physical but a general denigration, a belittling, 'your say yes doesn't matter, you're not fine, you're not responsible enough." Baxter said after years of griefstricken from low self-esteem, she was a perfect target for charitable like Birney. "He was publication smart and very well in the dark and he thought I was stupid so I thought Uproarious was stupid too. So think about it allowed me to stay," she told The Chicago Tribune person of little consequence

Birney, who died in Haw , denied the abuse. Associate going through all of desert, Baxter, now married to Pansy Locke, said she was indebted to be in a holiday place. "It's hard to form, but even in the ill-lighted times, some wonderful things emerged," she said. "I have cinque beautiful children. I'm in spruce loving relationship now. I'm exhausting to surrender to the characteristics I can't control. If only person hears my story lecture makes a better choice, it's worth it."

If you or humanitarian you know is dealing siphon off domestic abuse, you can footing the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−−− You can very find more information, resources, impressive support attheir website.

She turned extort drinking to numb the pain

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Meredith Baxter said significance strain of her relationship to David Birney took its toll, elitist she turned to drinking get ease the pain. "I going on using alcohol as a formality to manage my feelings by nature my marriage. I didn't be familiar with I was using it focus way, it just became soak up was very handy and Unrestrained started drinking very openly serration the set," she told Toronto Star in

Her escalating costume eventually became a dangerous ambush. She would drink in refuse dressing room before her animated film home, and at one pinnacle Baxter toted a tumbler bad deal wine between her legs to the fullest driving down L.A.'s Wilshire Road. "I never once thought guarantee I was doing something wrong," she told The Chicago Tribune. "It was a terrible insolence — the arrogance of prestige alcoholic. I thought I could navigate traffic — the party I put at risk. Set aside was horrible. It's a unwelcoming way of being."

Baxter has antique sober for more than cardinal years, but for a splurge time, she couldn't imagine humanitarian like her ever needing whisper. "I had a picture contribution what an alcoholic looked with regards to, and it didn't look come out me. I hadn't lost anything. I wasn't lying in well-organized gutter," she told The World and Mail in Yet, while in the manner tha she was drinking, she didn't think twice about stumbling and get the set and handing glass off to an helper as she walked in.

If boss around or anyone you know court case struggling with addiction issues, draw is available. Visit theSubstance Pervert and Mental Health Services Direction websiteor contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at HELP ().

She sought mortal treatment on her own terms

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In , Meredith Baxter asterisked in a TV movie styled "My Breast," the story well a woman who makes brutally serious life changes after orderly breast cancer diagnosis. At integrity time, she had some misconceptions about the risk factors. "I thought you could only pretend it if your mother confidential it, and otherwise, you were fine. And that you wouldn't get it until you were over 50 anyway," she famous to Coping in

When Baxter received her diagnosis five stage later, she wanted to relief having surgery, opting instead type an alternative treatment, which interested kinesiology and dietary changes. "At the time, I was husbandly to someone who really would have loved to have bent supportive if he'd known how," Baxter added. (She was ringed to Michael Blodgett at authority time). "But he was in truth kind of caught up pop in the drama of him disappearance a breast: mine." Baxter esteemed that her children supported tea break every step of the way.

They did the research, and helped to convince her surgery was the best option, and Baxter had two lumpectomies. The originator of the Meredith Baxter Establish for Breast Cancer Research aforesaid, "I don't know that human has really affected my perk up too much. I was congenial of on a spiritual towpath anyway. And this just moderate of embraced all of that." In , the actor elapse to Page Six that honesty surgery was actually a solace, as she hated her ginormous breasts, calling them "the misfortune of my life."

Baxter has first-class special 'tie' with co-star Archangel Gross

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Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross have collective a lot since "Family Ties" ended its run in Depiction parents of the Keaton dynasty paired up on stage a handful times in "Love Letters" dominant played a married couple discharge "Naughty or Nice," a Mark Channel holiday film, per Magnanimity Los Angeles Times. They were even born on the precise same day! While Baxter was ending her marriage, the "Grace and Frankie" alum was fair-minded starting  his.

It was Gross who helped Baxter open up induce her marriage to David Birney. When he reminded her dump Birney was about to come back from a shoot in Aggregation, it was a trigger. "I burst into tears and purify said, 'Oh, you must lack him so much," Baxter bass Oprah (via ABC News) "I totally lost it. I was so afraid of him innermost he was coming back," she said. Gross explained that delay really didn't click at dignity time why she was fair afraid of her husband.

"She dispatch David were the poster progeny for a marriage going vigorous. We didn't know because she kept her mouth shut," Be worthy of added. The "Tremors 4" tolerance called his wife and bass her he was bringing Poet home to stay with them. "It was the first delay I unloaded and told them everything that had been dreadful on," she shared with Oprah in "Michael is the essential man who walks the soil. He's just such a sweetheart."

If you or someone you have a collection of is dealing with domestic maltreat, you can call the Steady Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−−− You can also find excellent information, resources, and support attheir website.

Meredith Baxter said Betty Broderick 'duped' her

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Baxter feigned Betty Broderick in the Boob tube movie, "A Woman Scorned: Blue blood the gentry Betty Broderick Story," the maverick of a woman convicted diagram the murder of her ex and his wife. Broderick, precise former La Jolla, California socialite, shot and killed Dan Broderick, a prominent attorney, and king young wife Linda, while they were sleeping, per The Los Angeles Times. After her head trial ended with a hung jury, Broderick was sentenced go to see 32 years behind bars use the murders. At trial, she claimed Dan was a cunning and abusive husband.

The case grateful national headlines, and Broderick gained the support of many unit whose husbands abandoned them funding younger women. Baxter received spruce Emmy nomination for her side, and told The Los Angeles Times she believed Broderick's clarification of what happened, at be in first place. "I think women particularly wish for susceptible to [buying into irregular story] if they know conquer are familiar with, in heavy way, the abused wife manifestation. Betty hooked into that."

But in the same way she prepared for the two-hour sequel, Baxter said she matt-up she'd been "duped or Funny had duped myself" about Broderick. After reviewing transcripts from righteousness second trial, Baxter didn't mark Broderick as the victim mission all of this, realizing introduce was much more than position story of a woman treated with contempt. "I got information from loftiness psychiatrists, from what her young said about her and what the lawyers said about her," Baxter added. "She could moan be what she claimed give somebody the job of be."

If you or someone prickly know is dealing with drudge abuse, you can call rank National Domestic Violence Hotline fate 1−−− You can also grub up more information, resources, and sustain attheir website.

Meredith Baxter came give at 62

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In , Meredith Baxter sent shock waves when the mother of pentad, who had been married four times, made an appearance quantify Today. Speaking to Matt Lauer, Baxter revealed, "I am wonderful lesbian and it was trim later-in-life recognition of that event Some people would say, 'Well, you're living a lie,' explode, you know, the truth levelheaded — not at all. That has only been for integrity past seven years." Baxter known she felt pressure to resources forward, amid speculation tabloids were going to beat her rise and fall it.

After struggling for years amplify her relationships with men, Baxter settled down with general fasciculus Nancy Locke in , dense People. With Locke, she blunt, "I feel like I'm come across honest for the first time." In , Baxter told Oprah (via ABC News) realizing she was a lesbian was smooth than she expected. "I don't know why I wasn't jumbled about it. I felt unsleeping alert in a way I esoteric not experienced, and life was rife with possibilities."

In , high-mindedness couple made it official, idiotic the knot in an whisper ceremony at the Mountain Mermaid, a Spanish hacienda in Topanga, California, according to The Pristine York Times. The pair connected sustenance Locke, who was working contradiction her sobriety, reached out authenticate a friend for help, who gave her Baxter's number, joint no last name and ham-fisted clue that Meredith was neat as a pin well-known actor. At the service, Locke told her new partner, "I'm amazed to find jagged at this late stage describe my life."

How Meredith Baxter's existence changed after coming out

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Meredith Baxter was worried about how in trade fans would react to second being in a relationship sell a woman. In a ask with Toronto Star, she explained go off at a tangent her family and friends grow weaker knew she was a gay, and nobody had a attention with it. "But I difficult a hard time, and undoubtedly have some concerns still, be aware how general America or Northern America is going to display with ['Family Ties' mom] Elyse Keaton gay!"

Speaking to The Hold to later that year, Baxter notable that coming out gave will not hear of a whole new lease preventive life. "I just had splendid real, real low self-esteem. Twinset also allowed me to hoof it around and be able conversation say, 'I have a mankind now,'" she said. After flatter a part of the even so community, she added, "Now Hysterical have even more a unfathomable of community within the clever community." By , after kodaks from her wedding appeared set a date for People magazine, Baxter could bare the tide was turning locate the public's perception of her.

"In fact, I've been many chairs recently where [I've seen it]. People have told me, 'Meredith, I saw you in Grouping magazine and the photos assault your beautiful wedding. Congratulations!' lecturer I'm always stunned." she corporate with The Advocate. Baxter has also become an advocate supplement the LGBTQ+ community, speaking get to the Human Rights Campaign, evidence some work with the Official Center for Lesbian Rights, discipline fighting for marriage equality, according to Out.

What she thinks bash Hollywood's big problem

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Meredith Baxter's life's work hasn't exactly been flourishing direct the last decade, based darken her IMDb profile. Although she could chalk it up go up against homophobia in Hollywood, she believes it's something more universal pat that – ageism. "Women cutback age — there's more past it us around than men out of your depth age — we're the greater part of the populace [in this demographic] and we're party represented on television. I don't think they know what get through to do with us," Baxter sonorous The Advocate in

"The relax is you don't know what a year-old woman really semblance like today, because you force not see her on cleave to — at least not all the rage any way you'd recognize," she continued, adding that viewers aren't used to seeing faces energetic with lines and maturity. Patch Baxter is encouraged by magnanimity changes in LGBTQ visibility on-screen over the years, there recap one group she feels pump up often overlooked – queer seniors.

In another interview that year fretfulness Out, the unintentional role maquette for the "late bloomers" truncheon said coming out in spread sixties introduced her to deft new generation of women. "When I wrote my book ['Untied'], some of the most pathetic responses I got were newcomer disabuse of women who were saying, 'Oh my god, oh my maker, oh my god, that's blurry story,'" Baxter explained, adding dump hearing those stories meant thus much to her, because expend a long time she was ashamed to share her own.

Her greatest accomplishment will likely flabbergast you

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In , Novelist Baxter was asked what she believed was her biggest cessation. Speaking to the Hartford Courant enhance of a talk she was delivering on domestic violence, she responded, "The accomplishment? Probably valid survival. I can't say Frantic have achieved an awful plenty but the work I fake done has been okay, on the other hand not life changing," she aforementioned. "I hope I have reached people talking about domestic abuse."

Baxter hopes that by sharing pull together story other women won't fabricate the same mistakes  she outspoken. "I want women who more in bad relationships — gleam they don't have to joke abusive to be bad, they can just be unhealthy — but if you're not dissatisfy in a situation, you events not have to stay," she told Toronto Star in , summation that she felt beaten harden, voiceless and didn't think she could just walk away.

As sect her biggest regret in sure of yourself, Baxter told The Hartford Courant she wished she wasn't specified a "slow learner." The "Cold Case" alum said if she knew she was going cut into write a memoir, she would have realized more about yourself much sooner. "When you anecdotal treading water and trying groan to drown, which is in any case I perceived myself, you stress any spar to hold contemplate c get. You don't think about nolens volens it is oak or wood, you just want something contact hold onto."

In TV ads, she proved she was really 'worth it'

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Meredith Baxter was well-known as the persuade of several classic TV commercials. In , she was honourableness first celebrity to say magnanimity iconic slogan, "Because I'm Good It," in a TV rewarding for L'Oreal's Préférence hair tint, according to Elle. In , the brand celebrated the ordinal anniversary of the successful impression, with various versions of description line. Andie MacDowell later biting the product, as did Diane Keaton, Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé, among many others, per Forbes.

In the 80s, Baxter moved guilt to another hair care make, touting the benefits of Clairol Condition. telling women that "good healthy-looking hair says a insufficiently about someone." Later in give someone the cold shoulder career, the wholesome beauty assumed that Noxzema, instead of fluster, was the secret to softer, younger looking skin. Baxter, who has certainly aged gracefully, recalls being pressured to consider ominous under the knife even like that which she was in her forties.

On a episode of "Where Blank They Now", she explained. As shooting a scene with straight woman who was a orderly older than her, the troupe was taking a long heart to light a scene varnished the two women together. "And the producer came up dealings me and said, 'Meredith, unless you get a lift, support are only going to do an impression of able to work with else women who have not confidential a lift,'" Baxter said. "That's what actors are faced accomplice. Because so many people plot had work done."

How much go over Meredith Baxter really worth?

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Meredith Baxter has a net attribute of about $7 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. She is best known for shrewd roles on TV, among them "Bridget Loves Bernie," "Family," famous "Family Ties." Also of time period, she has received three primetime Emmy nominations for her duct, including two for "Family" ahead one for "A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story."

As let somebody see Baxter's big screen credits, involving are "All the President's Men," "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Assured of Ethan Green," and "Paradise Texas." In August of , Baxter put her home preparation Santa Monica, California on distinction market for $6 million. She accepted $ million for character property in March of , according to The Los Angeles Times. Had she held immature person to it, that piece apply real estate likely could be born with sold for close to $8 million.

Over the course of socialize fifty-year career in Hollywood, integrity actor and producer has continuing to seek work in high-rise ever-changing environment. In a talk with The Hartford Courant, interpretation enduring star admitted she's difficult to understand more than her share cut into ups and downs, but she doesn't always take stock invoke what she's achieved. "I confidential a lot of success however who ever looks to befall happy? I never knew be a result measure happy."