Jerry Van Dyke spent his career living in the shadow of older brother Dick Van Dyke — only to have his heart broken by his porn-star daughter just as he found his own sitcom fame! Jerry — who passed away on Jan. 5, 2018, at the age of 86 — had spent decades as a showbiz joke after starring in the failed sitcom “My Mother the Car.” He had finally found success in the 1990s as bumbling assistant Luther Van Dam on the hit ABC series “Coach.” Then his fame turned sour after daughter Kelly Van Dyke went into the porn biz, even making her debut in a 1992 lesbian fetish video titled “The Coach’s Daughter!”
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Kelly billed herself as "Nancee Kellie" in the hardcore production, but made no secret of her showbiz heritage — out of seething hatred over Jerry's 1974 divorce from her mom Carol. "I was desperately crying out for him," said Kelly, "but once he was with [second wife] Shirley, he turned his back on the family." Jerry, meanwhile, blamed Kelly's porn career on drug use, saying: "I've done everything a father could do to help her overcome her addictions."
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Kelly's X-rated career would be tragically short, however — ending with her suicide on November 17, 1991, at the age of 33. She was married to "Twin Peaks" star Jack Nance when she was found hanging from a nylon cord in the bedroom of her North Hollywood apartment. Lieut. Ron LaRue of the Los Angeles Police Department told The ENQUIRER the suicide was "apparently triggered by a phone conversation with her husband."
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Pals say the couple had been headed for divorce. In an exclusive interview, Kelly's heartbroken dad told
The National ENQUIRER: "This is a death directly related to alcohol and drug abuse. I did everything I could to help her. She had extensive therapy and was in various substance abuse programs. But she always reverted back to the same self-destructive pattern.Now there's nothing more I can do!"
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"Jack had told many people they were going to divorce," said a source. "On the phone, Kelly had been threatening to kill herself when a big storm knocked all the lines out. Jack was frantic. He tried over and over again to call out, but it was impossible. He was afraid Kelly might think he had hung up on her and he feared that could push her over the edge. So he rushed to the county sheriff's office, where he tried to get a call through. There was no answer."
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Kelly's body was found by her close friend Lisa Loring [inset] — who played Wednesday Addams on "The Addams Family." Lisa was then married to porn star Jerry Butler, and was staying with Kelly following marital problems of her own. "Kelly had apparently looped the rope over the hook and around her neck, stood on a nearby chair and stepped off," said LaRue.
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In an exclusive interview just months before her death, Kelly told The ENQUIRER: "I was desperate for my father's attention and when I didn't get it, I went wild. I was an 11-year-old alcoholic and I began having sex at age 11. At one Hollywood party, I was drinking heavily and came on to a famous movie star. We ended up having sex. When Dad found out about my alcohol and sex problems, he forced me to live with my grandmother."
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"Kelly had started doing the porn films to get back at her father," said Lisa. "And this suicide was one final desperate act to get his attention." Jerry Butler added: "Kelly felt her dad never cared about her, but I'm not sure he could have saved her. I'm not sure there was anything anybody could do."
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Photo credit: Getty/Files
Jerry had to continue his Hollywood career as more porn films featuring Kelly were released through 1993. But after the shock of her death, the sitcom star later refused to believe that Kelly had killed herself. "I knew my daughter," he said. "She would not kill herself without making sure everybody knew why." He added: "It doesn't make sense to me, and I won't rest until I get to the bottom of this!"
Kelly billed herself as "Nancee Kellie" in the hardcore production, but made no secret of her showbiz heritage — out of seething hatred over Jerry's 1974 divorce from her mom Carol. "I was desperately crying out for him," said Kelly, "but once he was with [second wife] Shirley, he turned his back on the family." Jerry, meanwhile, blamed Kelly's porn career on drug use, saying: "I've done everything a father could do to help her overcome her addictions."
Photo credit: Getty/Files
Kelly's X-rated career would be tragically short, however — ending with her suicide on November 17, 1991, at the age of 33. She was married to "Twin Peaks" star Jack Nance when she was found hanging from a nylon cord in the bedroom of her North Hollywood apartment. Lieut. Ron LaRue of the Los Angeles Police Department told The ENQUIRER the suicide was "apparently triggered by a phone conversation with her husband."
Photo credit: Getty/Files
Pals say the couple had been headed for divorce. In an exclusive interview, Kelly's heartbroken dad told
The National ENQUIRER: "This is a death directly related to alcohol and drug abuse. I did everything I could to help her. She had extensive therapy and was in various substance abuse programs. But she always reverted back to the same self-destructive pattern.Now there's nothing more I can do!"
Photo credit: Getty/Files
"Jack had told many people they were going to divorce," said a source. "On the phone, Kelly had been threatening to kill herself when a big storm knocked all the lines out. Jack was frantic. He tried over and over again to call out, but it was impossible. He was afraid Kelly might think he had hung up on her and he feared that could push her over the edge. So he rushed to the county sheriff's office, where he tried to get a call through. There was no answer."
Photo credit: Getty Images
Kelly's body was found by her close friend Lisa Loring [inset] — who played Wednesday Addams on "The Addams Family." Lisa was then married to porn star Jerry Butler, and was staying with Kelly following marital problems of her own. "Kelly had apparently looped the rope over the hook and around her neck, stood on a nearby chair and stepped off," said LaRue.
Photo credit: Getty/Files
In an exclusive interview just months before her death, Kelly told The ENQUIRER: "I was desperate for my father's attention and when I didn't get it, I went wild. I was an 11-year-old alcoholic and I began having sex at age 11. At one Hollywood party, I was drinking heavily and came on to a famous movie star. We ended up having sex. When Dad found out about my alcohol and sex problems, he forced me to live with my grandmother."
Photo credit: Getty/Files
"Kelly had started doing the porn films to get back at her father," said Lisa. "And this suicide was one final desperate act to get his attention." Jerry Butler added: "Kelly felt her dad never cared about her, but I'm not sure he could have saved her. I'm not sure there was anything anybody could do."
Photo credit: Getty Images
Jerry had to continue his Hollywood career as more porn films featuring Kelly were released through 1993. But after the shock of her death, the sitcom star later refused to believe that Kelly had killed herself. "I knew my daughter," he said. "She would not kill herself without making sure everybody knew why." He added: "It doesn't make sense to me, and I won't rest until I get to the bottom of this!"
Photo credit: Getty/Files