The controversy surrounding the Globe Magazine's viral Gary Coleman deathbed picture explained

On June 9, 2010, a disturbing photo of the late actor Gary Coleman was released on the cover of Globe Magazine. The photograph showed Gary lying on his death bed, moments before he was taken on life support and declared dead on 28 May 2010.

Gary Coleman, the highest-paid child actor of the 1970s and 1980s, became famous for his role as Arnold Jackson in the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. According to CNN, American Media, the parent company of Globe, confirmed buying a controversial photo of Coleman on life support.

Shannon Prince, Coleman's ex-wife, who had a history of abusing him, was seen taking the picture while he was in Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Reports suggest Shannon sold the image for profit. Peacock's new documentary, Gary, released on August 29, 2024, explores the controversy surrounding Coleman's death.

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Shannon Prince was accused of selling Gary Coleman's deathbed picture

Shannon Prince was the major suspect behind Coleman's death (Image via Peacock)

Dion Mial was Gary Coleman's former manager and a longtime friend who accused Shannon of having sold Coleman's last photo to Globe magazine for $10,000. Coleman chose Dion to be his will's executor back in 1999, and she got selected by a judge in Utah to look after Coleman's estate and legacy.

Dion was furious at Shannon's attempt to make a profit out of a dying man. She could not stop the magazine from putting the photograph on its cover. Even when Coleman was alive he accepted that Shannon was with him just for the money and that he was slapped by her to keep quiet. The child actor had a life of depression, getting pressurized not just by his working peers, but his parents himself. He considered himself to be god's punching bag.

Shannon Prince was the prime suspect in Gary Coleman's death, with many believing it was a planned murder. The two met during the filming of Church Bell in 2005, married in 2007, but divorced the next day. Despite this, Shannon was living with Coleman in Utah at the time of his fatal accident. On the emergency call, she refused to cover his head wound to stop the bleeding and didn't accompany him to the hospital.

Shannon had control over Coleman's medical decisions and, despite his wish to survive for at least two weeks, she took him off life support after just two days. Coleman died at 42 on May 28, 2010, from a brain hemorrhage. Peacock's documentary Gary explores Coleman's tragic life and the unresolved questions surrounding his death.

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Peacock's documentary Gary looks behind the death of Gary Coleman

The documentary narrates the journey of Coleman, from his rise to stand up to his massive downfall, and tragic death. It will cover his experiences through suffering from depression, scandals, substance abuse, and legal cases, whose fatal accident remains a very big mystery. Gray documents the accusation against his ex-wife, made by Dion Mial and his friends Brandi Buys and Darren Nord.

Gary Coleman married Shannon Prince in 2007 (Image via Peacock)

Nord said that considering Coleman's small body, it was highly questionable that he faced such an intracranial hemorrhage while tipping off the stairs. Coleman's partner Anna Gray, before Shannon's arrival, had indicated that the actions and events were very evident that Gary Coleman was murdered. She described it as

“one of the most depraved acts I've ever seen perpetrated on another human being in my life.”

His co-star in Diff'rent Strokes Todd Bridges who played the role of Arnold's brother Willis Jackson revealed Coleman's father's attitude towards his son. In between his shooting, Coleman would often end up vomiting, due to his degrading health, but his father would drag him to complete the shoot.

Coleman's death was suspected to be a murder (Image via Peacock)

The child actor had a hard time adjusting beyond an adult considering his body still stayed the same. He had numerous instances of getting violent with his crew members and on-screen hosts. The documentary takes up the dark side behind this child actor who made people laugh.

His ex-wife Shannon even after proving all of the suspicions defends herself as completely innocent. Due to a lack of concrete evidence, no major legal actions were taken against her. Peacock's Gary goes on to investigate deeper into Gary Coleman's death, trying to crack the cold mystery that has been left open for 14 years.

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