Jeff Conaway Dead at 60

By PopEater Staff Posted May 27th 2011 02:25PM

'Grease' actor Jeff Conaway died Friday at age 60, RadarOnline.com reports and The Hollywood Reporter confirms. The news comes just a day after reports that the star would be taken off life support.

Radar calls it "the end a long, sad road of addiction that made him one of Hollywood's cautionary tales." Conaway, known for his roles as Bobby Wheeler on 'Taxi' and T-Bird Kenickie in 'Grease,' was a New York native whose brutal battles with substance abuse came to define the latter decades of his fame.

Conaway was checked into an LA hospital on May 11. As of May 26, he was reported to have been experiencing no brain activity. A source told Radar that Conaway's feeding tube had been removed as of Thursday afternoon and that "Jeff is in no pain whatsoever."

Conaway shot to stardom in 1978 with his starring role in 'Grease' and quickly followed up with a three-year run on hit TV series 'Taxi.' Roles dried up in the 1980s as his addictions worsened, but Conaway later found steady work on the sci-fi hit 'Babylon 5.'

Conaway, who had no children, was married twice -- once to Olivia Newton-John's sister Rona from 1980 to 1985, and again to Kerri Young in 1990 (the time and circumstance of his second divorce remain unclear).

In 2008, a disheveled and unhealthy Conaway joined celebrity doctor Drew Pinsky's VH1 show, 'Celebrity Rehab,' to address his addiction to drugs and alcohol.

According to E! Online, in that same year, Conaway scarily told Howard Stern he had attempted suicide many, many times. "I've tried to commit suicide 21 times. I'm terrible at it! I get depressed over how come I can't kill myself," Conaway said. "Mostly it's been with pills. I've taken enough pills to knock an elephant out ... God wants me on this planet for some reason or another."

Sadly, Conaway's sobriety attempts failed; last year, the actor was injured in a fall while under the influence of OxyContin and methadone.

Of his televised problems with addiction, Conaway told THR in 2009, "I think people are just enamored with other people's problems because they have enough of their own, and they want to stop thinking about their own and think about somebody else's for a while. I think that's what television is all about, really."

This time, in May of 2011, it was originally reported that Conaway was hospitalized due to a prescription drug overdose, but Pinsky later insisted the star was suffering from pneumonia and sepsis, a dangerous blood infection. Pinsky tweeted on May 21, "We all need to pray for him. Not doing well today suddenly."

Earlier this year, Conaway and on-and-off-again girlfriend Victoria Spinoza filed restraining orders against each other. On the night of May 9, Spinoza paid Conaway a visit that ignited controversy within the star's family. Conaway's sister, Carla Shreve, filed a May 18 restraining order against Spinoza, alleging that after a recent breakup, Conaway feared for his life.

"He had just secured an apartment ... and was calling friends and family anxious to start this part of his life without her," reads Shreve's restraining order request, obtained by PEOPLE.

The magazine calls Conaway's rocky relationship with Spinoza "volatile," noting restraining orders each filed against the other earlier in 2011. Spinoza's friend and spokesperson, Aubry Fisher, tells PEOPLE Spinoza cared for Conaway for seven years and deems the new restraining order "horrible and wrong."

"When Vikki went to visit Jeff in the hospital, she sat by his side," Fisher said, referencing the day before the restraining order went through. "They were in the process of reconciling."

Remember Conaway with his performance of 'Greased Lightning':

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Jeff Conaway Pics

HOLLYWOOD - FILE: Actor Jeff Conaway and Vikki Lizzi arrive at the Fox Reality Channel Really Awards on September 24 2008 at the Avalon Hollywood club in Hollywood California. It has been reported that Jeff Conaway is in a coma following an apparent drug overdose. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Jeff Conaway Snapshots

HOLLYWOOD, CA - FILE: Jeff Conaway attends the Andre Merritt ASCAP Awards After-Party at the Hwood on April 22, 2009 in Hollywood, California. It has been reported that Jeff Conaway is in a coma following an apparent drug overdose. (Photo by Michael Bezjian/WireImage)

Jeff Conaway Snapshots

SANTA MONICA, CA - FILE: Actor Jeff Conaway arrives at the 6th annual "TV Land Awards" held at Barker Hanger on June 8, 2008 in Santa Monica, California. It has been reported that Jeff Conaway is in a coma following an apparent drug overdose. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for TV Land)

Jeff Conaway Snapshots

FILE: Actor Jeff Conaway arrives at the 6th annual "TV Land Awards" held at Barker Hangar on June 8, 2008 in Santa Monica, California. It has been reported that Jeff Conaway is in a coma following an apparent drug overdose. (Photo by Jason Merritt/FilmMagic)

Jeff Conaway Snapshots

FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2009 file photo, Jeff Conaway arrives at the 2009 Fox Reality Channel Really Awards in Los Angeles. Conaway's manager says the former star of "Taxi" is hospitalized in critical condition. The actor was found unconscious last week from a drug overdose, possibly pain pills, manager Phil Brock said Wednesday, May 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

Jeff Conaway Snapshots

HOLLYWOOD - APRIL 22: Vikki Lizzi (L) and Jeff Conaway (R) arrive at Andre Merritt's ASCAP Awards After-Party on April 22, 2009 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vikki Lizzi;Jeff Conaway

Jeff Conaway Snapshots

Actor Jeff Conaway and Vikki Lizzi arrive at the Fox Reality Channel

Jeff Conaway Snapshots

Actor Jeff Conaway arrives at the Fox Reality Channel

Jeff Conaway Snapshots

HOLLYWOOD - SEPTEMBER 24: Actor Jeff Conaway (R) and television personality Vikki Lizzi arrive at the Fox Reality Channel Really Awards at the Avalon Hollywood club September 24, 2008 in Hollywood California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vikki Lizzi;Jeff Conaway

Jeff Conaway Snapshots

Jeff Conaway attends the official VMA after party presented by Nikon And Pepsi at Paramount Studios on September 7, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

Jeff Conaway Snapshots

Tags: Jeff Conaway

Comments

(178)

Friday 27 May

By RC

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

RIP Kanicki

By Rob

Am so saddened to hear. I am a big fan of Babylon 5 & his role made the show that much better. Jeff will be missed.

By Jax & Tyson

Guess it will be "Grease" Movie weekend. So sad, at least he is no longer in pain. Yes RIP Kanicki!

By bushstaged911

He had a tough life . Sorry to see you go Jeff .
Rest in Peace buddy

By Ed

Vote down Vote up Report this

Thise of you bemoaning Conaway's tough life and suggesting that this should be a Grease movie weekend should look at the calender. This weekend is already reserved for more deserving peoples' remembrence.

By Trixie

Sad, RIP Jeff!

By Marcus

So sad...and Im surprised he was able to live this long, the guy has been an addict since the 80's.

By nylee

Very Sad. I hope you are at peace now.

By Josie Ann

RIP Jeff. Your struggle is over.

By susan

Rest in peace Jeff, too bad you had to go out that way....

By Addie

This breaks my heart! I LOVE Jeff Conaway. He was GREAT in the rolls he played. I wish he would have taken better care of himself and not have abused himself the way he did. I was hopeful when he got out of rehab that he was going to get better. He WILL be missed. Thank you for your humor Jeff. I will always remember you.

By Julie

RIP Jeff. So sad.

By Flagrante Delicto

Drew Penski is a charlatan - a pseudo feel good quack.

By JOHN

I must agree with you, he is an ego maniac

By dee

Yo... Dr Drew is not God..and if you loved an addict you would realize that he did as much as he could to help. we are all responsible for ourselves...

eyes rolling backwards
slamming your soul's door
you've made your final choices
it was always one more score

lying in your urine
vomit masks your face
body seizing in fury
your knees you now embrace

loss of definition
your grips caught on dead air
the downward spiral of a junkies life
you feel your brain tear...

no it is not Dr Drew's fault

By Steve

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

...and you're a bottle of douche

By kuuipo018

At least he is a peace now.

By Mary

God Bless you, Jeff. RIP.

By diningroomdiva

He actually did have a son named Emerson with Rona Newton John. Prayers are with his family.

By Kat Wuman

What a WASTED life!! how sad! I don't feel sorry for this man at all. He decided to go this path, just like all the others who were SURE they will not be addicted to drugs/alcohol. I am sure there were lots of folks surrounding him who were enablers but ultimately this path was his to choose. In no particular order:Amy Winehouse, Charlie Sheen, Lindsey Lohan, Courtney Love, that dude from Hangover 2 who shot up heroine on Bill Mahers show.... all worthless lives- riding the wave towards doom. It is hard to feel sorry for folks to whom so much was given and they threw it away.

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