Dawn Wells is $200k in debt, turns to fans for help

[MA]

"Gilligan's Island" star Dawn Wells hopes that fans of the beloved show might help her out of a financial jam.

TMZ reports that the actress best known for playing Mary Ann on the iconic show is about $200,000 in debt, an apparent result of medical bills and investment losses.

A friend has now launched a GoFundMe so that the former TV star can move to an assisted care facility, "hopefully in the motion picture home that she likes," the GoFundMe page says.

The pal says Dawn has had some difficult health battles of late. She spent last year recovering from a major surgery that "came close to killing her," the page says, and she also broke her knee earlier this year.

According to the GoFundMe page, Dawn said, "I just don't know what happened! I thought I would be just fine, but apparently I'm not. I've found myself with no home, husband or kids. I thank God every day that I have friends and fans who care or this whole thing would be too overwhelming!"

"Gilligan's Island" star Dawn Wells hopes that fans of the beloved show might help her out of a financial jam.

TMZ reports that the actress best known for playing Mary Ann on the iconic show is about $200,000 in debt, an apparent result of medical bills and investment losses.

A friend has now launched a GoFundMe so that the former TV star can move to an assisted care facility, "hopefully in the motion picture home that she likes," the GoFundMe page says.

The pal says Dawn has had some difficult health battles of late. She spent last year recovering from a major surgery that "came close to killing her," the page says, and she also broke her knee earlier this year.

According to the GoFundMe page, Dawn said, "I just don't know what happened! I thought I would be just fine, but apparently I'm not. I've found myself with no home, husband or kids. I thank God every day that I have friends and fans who care or this whole thing would be too overwhelming!"

"Gilligan's Island" star Dawn Wells hopes that fans of the beloved show might help her out of a financial jam.

TMZ reports that the actress best known for playing Mary Ann on the iconic show is about $200,000 in debt, an apparent result of medical bills and investment losses.

A friend has now launched a GoFundMe so that the former TV star can move to an assisted care facility, "hopefully in the motion picture home that she likes," the GoFundMe page says.

The pal says Dawn has had some difficult health battles of late. She spent last year recovering from a major surgery that "came close to killing her," the page says, and she also broke her knee earlier this year.

According to the GoFundMe page, Dawn said, "I just don't know what happened! I thought I would be just fine, but apparently I'm not. I've found myself with no home, husband or kids. I thank God every day that I have friends and fans who care or this whole thing would be too overwhelming!"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebri...cid=spartanntp

[TMC]

Gilligan's Island star Dawn Wells is "amazed" after her fans donated more than $50,000 to her GoFundMe page
With the help of a friend, the 79-year-old actress has a goal of raising $180,000 to help pay for a surgery and a lengthy hospitalization, as well as IRS penalties.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by MikaelaArsenault

"Gilligan's Island" star Dawn Wells hopes that fans of the beloved show might help her out of a financial jam.

TMZ reports that the actress best known for playing Mary Ann on the iconic show is about $200,000 in debt, an apparent result of medical bills and investment losses.

A friend has now launched a GoFundMe so that the former TV star can move to an assisted care facility, "hopefully in the motion picture home that she likes," the GoFundMe page says.

The pal says Dawn has had some difficult health battles of late. She spent last year recovering from a major surgery that "came close to killing her," the page says, and she also broke her knee earlier this year.

According to the GoFundMe page, Dawn said, "I just don't know what happened! I thought I would be just fine, but apparently I'm not. I've found myself with no home, husband or kids. I thank God every day that I have friends and fans who care or this whole thing would be too overwhelming!"

"Gilligan's Island" star Dawn Wells hopes that fans of the beloved show might help her out of a financial jam.

TMZ reports that the actress best known for playing Mary Ann on the iconic show is about $200,000 in debt, an apparent result of medical bills and investment losses.

A friend has now launched a GoFundMe so that the former TV star can move to an assisted care facility, "hopefully in the motion picture home that she likes," the GoFundMe page says.

The pal says Dawn has had some difficult health battles of late. She spent last year recovering from a major surgery that "came close to killing her," the page says, and she also broke her knee earlier this year.

According to the GoFundMe page, Dawn said, "I just don't know what happened! I thought I would be just fine, but apparently I'm not. I've found myself with no home, husband or kids. I thank God every day that I have friends and fans who care or this whole thing would be too overwhelming!"

"Gilligan's Island" star Dawn Wells hopes that fans of the beloved show might help her out of a financial jam.

TMZ reports that the actress best known for playing Mary Ann on the iconic show is about $200,000 in debt, an apparent result of medical bills and investment losses.

A friend has now launched a GoFundMe so that the former TV star can move to an assisted care facility, "hopefully in the motion picture home that she likes," the GoFundMe page says.

The pal says Dawn has had some difficult health battles of late. She spent last year recovering from a major surgery that "came close to killing her," the page says, and she also broke her knee earlier this year.

According to the GoFundMe page, Dawn said, "I just don't know what happened! I thought I would be just fine, but apparently I'm not. I've found myself with no home, husband or kids. I thank God every day that I have friends and fans who care or this whole thing would be too overwhelming!"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebri...cid=spartanntp

From what I've heard, any show before 1974 only got residuals for their casts in the first ten repeats of each episode. And since this was a popular show, those repeats happened over 30 years ago.

Dick York, the original Darrin on Bewitched died living on a fixed income, so I doubt residuals helped him. I think that Brady Bunch cast (incidentally, like Gilligan's Island, a Sherwood Schwartz produced show) also got screwed on royalties when both are so popular within pop culture.

For any show after that, residuals come indefinitely. They dwindle over time but you will always get something.

[80sTrivia]

It seems so sad to me that actors from popular shows from the 60s & 70s that are still in syndication see no money whatsoever from the broadcasts. Hope Dawn can raise the money she needs to cover her medical costs...

[king of comedy]

I hope she recovers. My prayers are with her.

[um]

Sad to hear.
It is hard to believe that the beloved actors who played our favorite characters on TV decades ago have fallen on such hard times. remember when Erin Moran was evicted from hear apartment?

It still does seem that a lot of people, particularly fellow celebrities will come to her aid because she is a "high profile case" and furthermore she is one of the last living cast members of what is a very iconic TV show.

I wonder what happened with Tina Louise, the only other remaining cast member. I wonder if she and Dawn talk with each other

[TMC]

Why stars of classic TV shows like Geoffrey Owens and Dawn Wells run into financial difficulties
The Cosby Show's Owens and Gilligan's Island's Wells made headlines last week with their financial issues -- Owens for working at Trader Joe's and Wells for having a GoFundMe page set up for her. "Fans of the respective actors wondered how this could happen," says Alessandra Malito. "Hadn’t they starred in two major sitcoms? But just because actors appear in reruns and still have a level of name recognition, it doesn’t mean they’re rolling in residuals. Television actors get these royalty checks whenever the shows they appeared in are shown on TV. Not all actors are entitled to these paychecks and, even when they do get a cut, it doesn’t always amount to much."

[JSP]

Look at it this way. Many ordinary average folks probably have more money in their bank accounts than some actor that got a supporting role on a TV show decades ago. Definitely foolish to think being in show business automatically means you’re wealthy.

[Flying Dutchman]

The last I checked, she received 150k from fans and supporters. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more Dawn such a giving person herself. We love you Dawn Wells

[king of comedy]

God bless those who helped her!

[TMC]

Gilligan's Island star Dawn Wells will have a trust set up for the $200,000+ she's received in donations

Wells' rep says the retired actress -- who turns 80 today -- and her team are "in the process of setting up a trust so there's transparency. anyone who wants to know where the money went can know, The trust will decide how much of it goes to medical bills, IRS, etc." Last month, a GoFundMe page was established for Wells to help her pay bills.

[um]

Originally Posted by TMC

Gilligan's Island star Dawn Wells will have a trust set up for the $200,000+ she's received in donations

Wells' rep says the retired actress -- who turns 80 today -- and her team are "in the process of setting up a trust so there's transparency. anyone who wants to know where the money went can know, The trust will decide how much of it goes to medical bills, IRS, etc." Last month, a GoFundMe page was established for Wells to help her pay bills.

So hard to believe she is 80.
Also , I never knew she had no husband or kids. She very much just faded into obscurity after Gilligan's Island, except for some "reunion" shows that I recall.
She is essentially only remembered for her role as Mary Ann in Gilligan's Island. It is hard to believe that she has fallen on such hard times in her older years. Of course it is a well known fact that a lot of the well known sit-com stars or TV stars of the 60s and 70s did not make much money playing the characters they became famous for and which became iconic and a major part of sit-com history. I wonder what is happening with Tina Louise.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by um

So hard to believe she is 80.
Also , I never knew she had no husband or kids. She very much just faded into obscurity after Gilligan's Island, except for some "reunion" shows that I recall.
She is essentially only remembered for her role as Mary Ann in Gilligan's Island. It is hard to believe that she has fallen on such hard times in her older years. Of course it is a well known fact that a lot of the well known sit-com stars or TV stars of the 60s and 70s did not make much money playing the characters they became famous for and which became iconic and a major part of sit-com history. I wonder what is happening with Tina Louise.

Dawn was more than likely typecast as it was expected for many actors/actresses who played such an iconic character. It's hard to see that actor as anybody else. In fairness, Dawn seems to fully embrace and is grateful for forever being known as Mary Ann Summers, unlike Tina Louise and Ginger Grant.

[SitcomsHeydayfan]

I saw this story on Inside Edition and Dawn said she never even asked for this and not everything reported about her medical status is true. However she did say she was grateful for the help.

Anyone know how she's doing now?

[stanwyckfan07]

Just adore her, hope she is well and happy (she certainly looks great!).