Geri Jewell A Lesbian: 'Facts Of Life' Star Comes Out, Discusses Cerebral Palsy In Memoir

Geri Jewell is bravely discussing the facts of her life.

The actress, best known for her role in the 80's sitcom 'The Facts of Life' and her numerous turns on Broadway, reveals that she is a lesbian in her new book, 'I'm Walking As Straight As I Can,' to be released soon.

The title doesn't just refer to her sexuality, however -- she also discusses her difficult struggle with cerebral palsy, and the difficult obstacles she had to overcome to make television history as the first recurring role played by a person with a serious disability.

Things got tougher still -- the book talks about her money problems, backstabbing agents, substance abuse and eventual recovery.

For more, click over to TalkTVWorld.com.

Comments

[LAustin]

11:09 AM on 02/03/2011

okay I just Googled it:

"Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn , Nancy McKeon."

I know this blog is not about Lisa, or Nancy McKeon, and asn't Kim Fields African-American? Sothat leaves only one, Mindy Cohn...wasn't she the character complaining about her weight?

[LAustin]

11:05 AM on 02/03/2011

okay, so I remember the blonde prettiest one who is now a 'born again Christian' or some such;

okay, then there were three others, and I remember a "Tootie".

But I'm drawing a blank on the other two. anybody want to take a sec to fill me in
on all four? Which was was this one???????

[JerryGeleff]

07:23 AM on 02/01/2011

Now tell me that Tootie is gay and I'm interested. AND want to see the video.

[JerryGeleff]

07:22 AM on 02/01/2011

Never heard of her, sorry.

[Kalifornian818]

04:17 AM on 02/01/2011

I wasnt old enough to watch F.O.L.. My favorite was watching GI joe with a bottle filled with strawberry milk.

[onegcds]

04:16 AM on 02/01/2011

"best known for her role in the 80's sitcom", I am trying not to laugh because when I saw the headline I thought they were talking about the actress that played Jo. I thought that everyone knew Jo was gay. BTW, I totally forgot about this broad.

[onegcds]

04:20 AM on 02/01/2011

And its all coming back to me. She is the "questions don't hurt ignorance does" broad.

[Reggie Licious]

03:42 AM on 02/03/2011

... and you call her a "broad" because...?

[Hank Hall III]

03:08 AM on 02/01/2011

That's weird, I always thought it was common knowledge.

[mick621]

02:19 AM on 02/01/2011

so what?

[Laddy McFaddy]

12:36 AM on 02/01/2011

Tootie?
Is that you?

[Jim Accardi]

11:30 PM on 01/31/2011

its about time Joe came out

[onegcds]

04:06 AM on 02/01/2011

LOL! You bogus!

[Oma Ruth]

10:05 PM on 01/31/2011

okay, let's give her another fifteen minutes--for the physical handicap. don't much care about her private business, but hope she's happy

[Jeff Gee]

10:04 PM on 01/31/2011

I first saw Jerri Jewel using her disability as a tool for cheap laughs and career advancement back in the early 80's. A passive aggressive game player who finally got a role with some teeth in it on HBO's Deadwood where she played a semi mute mentally handicapped maid in the old western saloon setting. Now that show is gone and once again she is more than willing to use an issue for career advancement even if it has been run into the ground for over 10 years now! At least your consistent Jerri!

[Congo Line]

02:01 AM on 02/01/2011

*applause*

[Tony JohnsonLA]

01:29 AM on 02/05/2011

Jeff Gee....If I could, I would knock you in the head with something as large as your ignorance and judgemental comments. You do not know anything about Geri, you don;t even know how to spell her name, so kindly refrain from making such lurid accusations becasue you are speaking of the most sensitive, thoughtful, compassionate and sincere person I have ever known! I could sit here and call you names all day, but you are not worth it...Geri may have faults, who doesn't? But she is anything but passive agressive, in fact I wish she were more conniving as you say, but she doesn't have it in her, unlike yourself.

[Razpooten]

09:52 PM on 01/31/2011

I barely remember the show - I was in the military protecting the country form comunists during that time.
I think the most significant part about Geri was that she was able to overcome the stigma of having cerebral palsy to become successful as a comedian and an actress.
As for the lesbian part; her coming out is also something to admire - one stigma was enough in those days.

[Stephanie T]

08:23 PM on 01/31/2011

Who cares!!!!

I have an announcement to make: I am a heterosexual!

[Tony JohnsonLA]

09:09 PM on 01/31/2011

Don't worry Stephanie, you are not alone. No, not me, Im a gay as a goose myself....but there are tons of others in this blog who have come out as straight as well. Maybe you could all band together and attempt a world of equality for yourselves. I know it's a big thing to dream, where you won't be marginalized for who you are, and differences are the norm. Good luck with that, let me know how much fun you have in that particular struggle.

[Stephanie T]

09:23 PM on 01/31/2011

I was attempting to show that this kind of announcement shouldn't be necessary nor should it matter if you are or not. I am sorry it didn't come off the way I wanted. The part of me that is hetero does not define who I am just as your sexuality should not define who you are. I hope for that world.

[Razpooten]

09:36 PM on 01/31/2011

How long have you had this tendencies, have you consider counseling?

[Marconiusrex24]

07:59 PM on 01/31/2011

OMG...how obscure is she? Who the Hell is going to even rember who she is? LOL

[saaba]

10:32 PM on 01/31/2011

Who is going to remember?...just about any one who was a teenaged girl in the 80's. Facts of Life was one of my favorite shows when I was like 15.

[LAustin]

08:05 PM on 02/03/2011

I can tell how old/young you are when you used the world "like" 15.

I'm not criticizing, just saying.

My generation said stuff that was so pathetic. I remember in high school (circa 1961) we said "gaaaa!" constantly. Anything good happen? We'd say "GAAAAAA"!! Anyway bad? We'd say "GAAAAA". All day long. Thousands of times a day.
I'll bet it drove our teachers nuts also.

My own kids graduated high school in 1982 and told me [then] all the stupid words, according to them, I was using. (Half the time they were right; the other half I'm still deciding!)

My grandkids and the way they talk doesn't seem to be any worse than my generation or my kids. Thank goodness! My grand-daughter is like 15. :-D