EXCLUSIVE: The Man Gary Coleman Tried 'To Kill' Speaks: My Heart Goes Out To His Wife
Posted on Jun 04, 2010 @ 01:30PM - Add a comment
The man who Gary Coleman ran over at a bowling alley has told RadarOnline.com he was saddened to hear the news of the actor’s death.
Colt Rushton, 26, sued the former Diff'rent Strokes star and his wife, Shannon Price, in 2008, after an incident in 2008, when the actor “could have killed” him.
AUDIO: Hear Gary Coleman's 911 Tape
The pint-sized Coleman tried to run him over in his truck at a bowling alley parking lot, when Rushton refused to pay him for a photo he had taken of the star on his cell phone.
“My heart goes out to his friends and family,” Rushton told RadarOnline.com, in an exclusive interview.
“I was upset at the time, but justice was served... I never had any deep, hard feelings toward the guy, I just wanted the courts to handle the incident.
“I had some pretty significant medical bills and it was important to have that compensated.”
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman Through The Years
Coleman settled for an undisclosed amount. He also pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from the incident.
Rushton recounted the incident to RadarOnline.com, which he said was sparked, in part, because of a “mad and out-of-control” Price.
While at a local bowling alley with his friends, he noticed Coleman and his party and took a couple of pictures of the actor with his camera phone.
PHOTOS: Troubled Child Stars
He was later told by Coleman's bodyguard that he could not take any more photos unless he paid $20 per photo fee.
“Gary didn’t like it at all and his wife, Shannon, ended up stealing my mobile phone,” explained Rushton.
“Before Gary got in his truck, he assaulted me and punched me in the face.
“Because he was such a little statue, I didn’t want to fight back. All I did was protect myself and try to hold the knocks down.”
VIDEO: Coleman And His Wife Discuss Their Crazy Fights
Rushton said he asked for his phone back and offered to erase the pictures if they gave the phone back.
“He started the truck, cranked the wheel to the right, accelerated in reverse, ended up hitting me and knocked me three or four feet.”
Rushton said he suffered pain, lower back problems and a knee injury as a result of the incident.
Of the dramatic incident, Rushton said: "I was surprised Gary acted the way he did; he obviously had some anger issues that night.”
PHOTOS: Classic TV Family—Good Times
Despite living in the same small Utah district, Provo, Rushton said he never encountered the actor after the fateful night.
“I never got the privilege to,” he added.
“It’s sad that he has passed and I have nothing but best wishes for his family and friends.”
Coleman's Funeral Cancelled; Battle Between Wife And Parents May End In Court
Posted on Jun 04, 2010 @ 11:10AM - 8 comments
Diff’rent Strokes Gary Coleman’s funeral has been delayed, and his agent says “there might be a hearing,” because of the feud between his parents and ex-wife Shannon Price.
Price had made plans to bid farewell to the 80s star in Salt Lake City this weekend.
AUDIO: Hear Gary Coleman's 911 Tape
But Coleman’s estranged parents, Willie and Sue Coleman, as RadarOnline.com first reported, have filed for Formal Probate -- and want to bury Coleman's body in Illinois.
The funeral director organizing the ceremony in Utah has confirmed that the service -- originally slated for Saturday -- was no longer taking place.
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman Through The Years
Blake Yates, from Memorial Estates in Utah, would give no more information about the cancellation -- but Coleman's agent confirmed that it was due to a family feud.
“The family [Coleman's parents] has different plans than what is in Gary's will,” Shielia Erickson said. “I’m telling you what I think the parents would like to do,” Erickson told RadarOnline.com.
“I had an African American magazine call me and kind of explain to me about African Americans and what they said is that… they believe strongly that the body should be buried in the hometown and they call that Zion. Wherever Zion is that’s the hometown. That’s where they think the body should be buried according to belief and customs. But that’s not what Gary desires,” she said.
VIDEO: Coleman And His Wife Discuss Their Crazy Fights
Coleman died at 42-years-old on May 28, following a brain hemorrhage caused by a fall at his home.
Price yanked Coleman off his life support machine, despite no longer being his wife.
PHOTOS: Troubled Child Stars
"I don't want people to sit there and think I'm a bitch, and that I didn't care about him," Price said on Thursday.
Erickson said that there was genuine love between Gary and Shannon and “Shannon is willing to spend her very last dime to make sure Gary’s wishes are fulfilled.”
Coleman's Funeral Canceled As Parents, Ex-Wife Fight
Posted on Jun 04, 2010 @ 09:00AM - 3 comments
As RadarOnline.com was first to report, the legal fight surrounding custody of Gary Coleman’s body has delayed his funeral.
Ex-wife Shannon Price had made plans to farewell the former Diff’rent Strokes star in Salt Lake City this weekend.
AUDIO: Hear Gary Coleman's 911 Tape
But Coleman’s estranged parents, Willie and Sue Coleman, as RadarOnline.com reported, have filed for Formal Probate -- and want to bury Coleman's body to Illinois.
The funeral director organizing the ceremony in Utah has confirmed that the service -- originally slated for Saturday -- was no longer taking place.
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman Through The Years
Blake Yates, from Memorial Estates in Utah, would give no more information about the cancellation -- but Coleman's agent confirmed that it was due to a family feud.
“The family [Coleman's parents] has different plans than what is in Gary's will,” Shielia Erickson said.
VIDEO: Coleman And His Wife Discuss Their Crazy Fights
Coleman died at 42-years-old on May 28, following a brain hemorrhage caused by a fall at his home.
Price yanked Coleman off his life support machine, despite no longer being his wife.
PHOTOS: Troubled Child Stars
"I don't want people to sit there and think I'm a bitch, and that I didn't care about him," Price said on Thursday.
Gary Coleman's Parents Tell Ex-Wife: Stop Being So Secretive
Posted on Jun 04, 2010 @ 07:52AM - 33 comments
Gary Coleman's estranged parents, Sue and Willie Coleman, are going to court in the fight over the late actor's body, funeral and will, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a bizarre and cagey statement just released, the Illinois couple said "they've heard the rumors" about their son’s death and announced their intention to file probate.
The legal bid has put a serious question mark on Coleman's funeral -- currently scheduled for Saturday in Utah.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Gary Coleman Said He Had 'Less Than A Year' To Live, Agent Reveals
The Colemans want custody of their son's remains for burial in his native Zion, Illinois.
"The Colemans don’t want to fight with anyone," their attorney Frederick A. Jackman told RadarOnline.com.
"They just want to bring their son home."
Jackman said Sue and Willie Coleman are the actor's "surviving family".
VIDEO: Coleman And His Wife Discuss Their Crazy Fights
It’s understood the Colemans will argue in court they are the legal custodians of his body because he was divorced from his wife, Shannon Price, in 2008.
The pint-sized actor sued his parents in 1989 for allegedly stealing his multimillion-dollar fortune -- a claim they have long denied.
Coleman suffered a brain hemorrhage after a fall last Wednesday at the Utah home he still shared with Price.
His 24-year-old ex-wife switched off his life support, because she didn't want Coleman “to be like Muhammad Ali or Terri Schiavo.”
AUDIO: Hear Gary Coleman's 911 Tape
"They’re (Sue and Willie Coleman) hoping that by applying for Formal Probate, they can get through this process the right way," Jackman told RadarOnline.com.
"Of course they’ve heard the rumors, and quite frankly, I don’t understand why so many people who knew Gary are being so secretive.
"The status of the divorce, whether or not anyone has a will, these are all issues that should be brought to the family’s attention immediately.
"Formal Probate is the way we make sure it all gets handled properly.”
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman's Last Birthday
Probate is the legal process for making sure that the property of a deceased person is collected and preserved; the decedent's debts and taxes are paid; and the remaining property is distributed to the beneficiaries designated in the decedent's last will or, if the decedent died without a valid will, to the decedent's lawful heirs.
In further mystery surrounding Coleman’s death, his Diff’rent Strokes co-star Todd Bridges has come out with the surprise announcement that he is in possession of a document purporting to contain the final wishes of Coleman.
PHOTOS: Troubled Child Stars
"[A friend of mine and I] have paperwork, and we'll bring it out soon, that will show what his wishes were and what he wanted," Bridges told Entertainment Tonight Thursday.
"There's a big fight going on with his parents and some other people involved, and after we bring this paperwork out, everybody's going to shut up."
"Gary had certain wishes [to exclude his parents]. I'm not going to go against a dying man's wishes," Bridges continued.
"There's a reason why he didn't speak to them for 23 years."
PHOTOS: Classic TV Family—Good Times
In her first interview since the death, Coleman’s ex-wife — who he divorced in 2008 -- denied pushing him down the stairs.
“People are so cruel, they don’t even know,” Price said.
“I was upstairs, he was downstairs, how am I going to push him?
“That affected me more than anything, the scrutiny that people come up with... they are just heartless.'
Gary Coleman's Parents & Ex-Wife Battle Over His Body, Funeral
Posted on Jun 03, 2010 @ 03:30PM - 15 comments
Diff'rent Strokes star Gary Coleman’s parent and his ex wife are battling over his body and funeral.
Coleman’s former manager and family spokesman Victor Perillo says Sue and Willie Coleman are seeking custody of his body, RadarOnline.com is reporting.
AUDIO: Hear Gary Coleman's 911 Tape
They want it returned to the star's boyhood home in Zion, Illinois, a small town about 50 miles north of Chicago.
Coleman’s ex-wife, Shannon Price, had announced the former child actor’s funeral would be held in Salt Lake City this weekend.
However, Perillo has told Associated Press the Colemans want a small, private ceremony.
Coleman’s body could be returned to Illinois as soon as Friday, he said.
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman's Last Birthday
Perillo insisted Coleman's parents are the legal custodians of his body because he was divorced from his wife, Shannon Price, in 2008.
"The arrangement we're working on now is to get Gary back to his next of kin, which is his parents,” Perillo said.
PHOTOS: Troubled Child Stars
“The funeral home has been notified, the sheriff's office, we've notified them that there is to be no communication on where the body is to go unless its dealt with legally with Gary's next of kin, and that's the way it stands right now.”
Coleman died Friday in Utah from a brain hemorrhage at age 42.
VIDEO: Coleman And His Wife Discuss Their Crazy Fights
It was Price who ordered that Coleman be taken off of life support, claiming she was was named in an advanced as his health care directive, a document that allowed her to make health care decisions for her ex-husband.
In an interview, Price said Coleman couldn't be saved after suffering the injuries and she didn't want him left in a vegetative state.
“He'd basically be like Muhammad Ali ... I mean, Gary was gone," she said.
EXCLUSIVE: Gary Coleman Legal Battle Brewing, As Ex-Wife Denies She 'Pushed' Star
Posted on Jun 03, 2010 @ 02:53PM - 18 comments
Gary Coleman’s estranged parents are making their first moves regarding the mysterious death of their son, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Sue and Willie Coleman -- who the pint-sized actor sued in 1989 for allegedly stealing his multimillion-dollar fortune, a claim his parents have long denied -- are expected to begin proceedings soon.
AUDIO: Hear Gary Coleman's 911 Tape
Coleman's parents have hired Utah attorney Rick Jackman and are expected to head to the state to seek answers, reports FOX 13 in Salt Lake City.
They also plan to attend his funeral.
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman's Last Birthday
The former Diff'rent Strokes child TV star died from a brain hemorrhage Friday at age 42.
He suffered a head injury, triggering an intracranial brain hemorrhage, after falling at his home in Santaquin.
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman Through The Years
Coleman’s parents want Gary's ex-wife, Shannon Price, to reveal what led to his hospitalization, put their son in a coma and ultimately forced his removal from life support, a decision she made.
It has since emerged Coleman was divorced from his Price.
The pair legally split on August 12, 2008, nearly two years before he suffered a brain hemorrhage that put him in a coma, according to court papers.
PHOTOS: Troubled Child Stars
A hospital spokesperson said Thursday Price had the authority to take the former child actor off life support.
In her first interview, a near-emotionless Price defended her decision to pull the plug on life support because she said she didn't want Coleman to be like Muhammad Ali or Terri Schiavo.
“I don’t want people to sit there and think I am a b--ch,” Price said.
“Gary was gone, his eyes were dilated, he wasn’t, you know, he was just gone... he would have died sooner rather than later.”
VIDEO: Coleman And His Wife Discuss Their Crazy Fights
Price said she's heard speculation that she pushed Gary and that caused him to fall and ultimately hemorrhage.
“People are so cruel, they don’t even know,” she said.
PHOTOS: Classic TV Family—Good Times
“I was upstairs, he was downstairs, how am I going to push him? That effected me ore than anything, the scrutiny that people come up with... they are just heartless.”
She said she would remember her husband fondly.
“He has done a lot for me, he bought me a car... which he chose to do, which I never asked him for. I thought that was very sweet of him to do that,” she added.
At the weekend, Sue Coleman said: "We're not pointing fingers at anyone, but we need to know exactly what happened.
"We're not angry. We're just concerned. Did our son fall down the stairs? Did he fall in the bathtub? We need to have some closure on our son's life.”
No details of the accident prior to Coleman's death have been released.
EXCLUSIVE: The Mystery Of Gary Coleman's Fatal Fall "Not Worth Speculating," Says Manager
Posted on Jun 03, 2010 @ 06:01AM - 1 comment
Gary Coleman’s manager tells RadarOnline.com the mystery of the Diff'rent Strokes star’s fatal fall is “not worth speculating about”.
As we revealed, Coleman’s body has been turned over to Utah’s state medical examiners office for investigation.
The release of a chilling 911 call -- in which Coleman's ex-wife Shannon Price is heard telling the call handlers she heard a big bang -- only raises more questions that it provides answers.
EXCLUSIVE: Gary Coleman's Last Role In Unreleased Video Game
Posted on Jun 03, 2010 @ 05:30AM - Add a comment
Gary Coleman might be gone, but his legacy will live on in — through an as yet unreleased video game.
RadarOnline.com has learned the Diff'rent Strokes star reprised his character Arnold Jackson, one last time, in a secret project for Sony.
AUDIO: Hear Gary Coleman's 911 Tape
It was recorded late last year — and Coleman lent his voice to an animated caricature of himself, that will ultimately become a cameo in another Playstation game.
But don’t expect to hear his famous catchphrase of the ‘80s: ‘What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?’
EXCLUSIVE: Gary Coleman Death Under Investigation
Posted on Jun 02, 2010 @ 01:43PM - 11 comments
The body of Diff'rent Strokes star Gary Coleman has been turned over to Utah’s state medical examiners office for investigation, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Janet Frank, a spokeswoman for Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, confirmed the official cause of death was now under investigation by the state’s coronial authority.
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman Through The Years
“The state medical examiners office looks at cases to determine answers to questions,” Frank told RadarOnline.com.
Coleman’s estranged parents have demanded answers about what happened to put their son in a coma and ultimately forced his removal from life support.
AUDIO: Hear Gary Coleman's 911 Tape
Frank would not elaborate further on the case, other to confirm that Coleman’s body has been transported from Provo to Salt Lake City.
A spokesperson for The Office of the Medical Examiner refused to comment about its investigation.
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman’s Last Birthday
Previously, authorities -- citing the wishes of Coleman’s wife Shannon Price -- wouldn’t reveal what occurred in the actor's Santaquin, Utah, home last Wednesday evening, that led to him suffering a brain hemorrhage.
But Santaquin Police tell RadarOnline.com they have ruled out criminality in the famed child actor’s death.
EXCLUSIVE: Gary Coleman And Wife Reconciled Before His Death
“There will be no investigation because I don’t think we felt there was a need for one,” a spokesperson said Wednesday.
“Our officers went out to the home and there was nothing suspicious, so there is no need to look into the death.”
And in the police report, just released, the first officer who arrived at Coleman’s house said he observed "nothing suspicious" about the scene.
PHOTOS: Child Stars: Troubled Adults
Officer K Johnson, from the Santaquin Police Department, wrote that Price greeted him at the front door, but wouldn't accompany him to her injured husband because she didn't want to "see the blood on the floor."
When he rushed to Coleman, the actor couldn't remember how he injured his head.
PHOTOS: Celebs Who Died Young
In a chilling 911 call released Wednesday, Price tells a call dispatcher: "I really don't know what happened... there's a lot of blood on the floor.... there's blood all over... and I can't do anything."
PHOTOS: Classic TV Family—Good Times
RadarOnline.com has also learned the investigation is preventing Coleman’s family from finalizing a date for his memorial.
Gary Coleman's Family Demand Answers, Cause Of Death Under Investigation
Posted on May 30, 2010 @ 10:30AM - 43 comments
Gary Coleman’s estranged parents are demanding answers about what happened to put their son in a coma and ultimately force his removal from life support.
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman Through The Years
Sue and Willie Coleman -- who the pint-sized actor sued in 1989 for allegedly stealing his multimillion-dollar fortune, a claim his parents have long denied -- want Gary's wife to reveal what led to his hospitalization.
"We're not pointing fingers at anyone, but we need to know exactly what happened," Sue said on Saturday.
"We're not angry. We're just concerned. Did our son fall down the stairs? Did he fall in the bathtub? We need to have some closure on our son's life.”
PHOTOS: Gary Coleman's Last Birthday
No details of the accident prior to Gary’s death have been released.
However, a spokeswoman for Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo has confirmed the official cause of death is still under investigation.
Janet Frank would only say that an "accident" occurred in the actor's Santaquin, Utah, home on Wednesday evening, that led to Coleman suffering an intracranial hemorrhage.
PHOTOS: Troubled Child Stars
Frank declined to give details, citing the wishes of Gary's wife Shannon Price -- who she married in August 2007.
The Price family has not said publically what happened.
But Santaquin Police Chief Dennis Howard has said: “There was absolutely nothing suspicious about [Coleman's] death.”
EXCLUSIVE: Gary Coleman And Wife Reconciled Before His Death
Coleman and his wife had a rocky relationship. In February, Coleman pleaded guilty to domestic violence.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Gary Coleman Leaves Jail In A Wheelchair: “It Was Absolutely Miserable”
In July last year, Price spent two hours in a county lockup after she was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic violence and disorderly conduct.
Police said she trashed Coleman’s bedroom and locked him out of the house.
PHOTOS: Classic TV - Good Times
The couple reconciled after an appearance on the syndicated "Divorce Court," where Price described Coleman as distant and depressed.
"We respect the relationship our son had with Shannon," Sue told People.
EXCLUSIVE: Gary Coleman Was Planning A Documentary-Style Show Of His Life
"When we found out he got married, we thought, 'Well, at least he has someone in his life who he cares about and who cares about him.' We were happy about that.
“But it's frustrating that we haven't heard from the Price family. But it's possible they didn't even know we existed.
“Gary may have told her that he didn't have any family.
"This is a shock to us. We loved Gary very much. We're going to miss him."
