Lauren Tewes gained fame as Julie McCoy, the beloved cruise director on The Love Boat. Starting at age 23 in 1977, she became a fan favorite alongside the show’s iconic cast. However, her career hit a major setback in 1984 when she was fired during the eighth season.
Executive producer Douglas Cramer revealed, “There were severe problems with Lauren… It was terribly disrupting.” Tewes struggled with c0cai.ne addiction, which eventually cost her the role. She candidly admitted, “All that money didn’t go into a bank. It went into my nose.”
Battle With Addiction
Tewes opened up in a 2014 interview with Oprah Winfrey about her addiction. She said she felt “guilty, shamed, humiliated, and disgusted.” Starting in the late 1970s, c0ca.ine was popular, but she felt isolated in her struggle.
“I begged for help, but no one stepped forward,” she recalled. Despite beginning withdrawal in 1980, it took years before she fully sobered up. She realized she was destroying herself and spent all her money on the dr.ug. “So, I stopped completely,” she told TV Guide.
