Hollywood is a meat grinder. Everyone knows the cliché, but few lived the jagged edge of it like Dana Plato. By 1989, she wasn't the "sweet Kimberly Drummond" from Diff’rent Strokes anymore. She was a twenty-four-year-old mother who had been written out of her hit show for getting pregnant, left to navigate a world that only wanted her to stay fourteen forever.
She was desperate. Honestly, that’s the only word for it.
The decision for Dana Plato in Playboy to happen wasn't some sudden whim. It was a calculated, last-ditch effort to kill the child-star image that was suffocating her career. She wanted to show the industry she was a grown woman, capable of adult roles, and—perhaps more importantly—she needed the money. Her savings were dwindling, and the phone had stopped ringing years ago.
The June 1989 Issue: A High-Stakes Gamble
When the June 1989 issue of Playboy hit the stands, it was supposed to be Dana’s "comeback" moment. She’d even gone as far as getting breast augmentation surgery specifically for the shoot, hoping to fit the "bombshell" aesthetic the magazine was known for. She wanted to look like a leading lady.
Instead, the universe played a cruel joke.
The issue she appeared in featured Kimberly Conrad as the Playmate of the Year. For those who don't recall the gossip of the era, Conrad was Hugh Hefner’s new bride. The magazine was essentially a tribute to the "new Mrs. Hefner." Dana, despite her fame, was relegated to a five-page pictorial that felt like an afterthought.
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Why the Strategy Backfired
- The Name Confusion: In a bizarre coincidence, Dana’s TV father on Diff’rent Strokes was played by Conrad Bain. The centerfold of her big issue was Kimberly Conrad. It was a weird, meta-collision of names that made the whole thing feel like a trivia question rather than a career relaunch.
- The Stigma: In the late 80s, "going nude" didn't have the "reclaim your narrative" power it does today. For a former child star, it was often seen as the beginning of the end—a sign of the "downward spiral" rather than a professional pivot.
- Bad Timing: Her personal life was already cratering. Her mother, Kay Plato, passed away that same year. Her husband, Lanny Lambert, was heading toward a divorce.
She did the interviews. She went on TV. She told Ed the Sock in a 1997 interview that the shoot was "great" and she thought it was "cool," but the cracks were visible even then. She looked tired. In a 1989 interview shortly after the release, she claimed she was "paying her dues" and expected work soon.
It didn't come.
The Financial Fallout and the Video Store Robbery
You've probably heard the story of the video store robbery. It’s one of those "only in Vegas" tragedies. By 1991, just two years after the Playboy spread failed to ignite her career, Dana was living in Las Vegas. She was broke. Her accountant had allegedly embezzled the majority of her remaining funds, leaving her with almost nothing.
On February 28, 1991, she walked into a video store with a pellet gun.
She walked out with $164.
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The clerk recognized her immediately. "I've just been robbed by the girl who played Kimberly on Diff'rent Strokes," he told the 911 dispatcher. It was pathetic, not because of the crime, but because of the sheer level of desperation it signaled. The Playboy money was gone. The fame was a ghost.
Wayne Newton, the legendary entertainer, eventually posted her $15,000 bail, but the damage was permanent. She was a punchline.
Misconceptions: Was it Actually Porn?
There is a lot of revisionist history regarding Dana's later career. Many people conflate her Playboy pictorial with her later work in the softcore industry.
Basically, the Playboy shoot was a standard celebrity pictorial. It was high-gloss, professional, and meant to be "tasteful" by 1989 standards. However, as the 90s progressed and her options vanished, she did move into the "B-movie" and softcore world. She starred in a film titled Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jill... and Jill in 1998.
She often defended these choices by saying "this is life" and that she was a working actress who needed to pay bills. But the public wasn't kind. The transition from Playboy to softcore was seen as a confirmation of the "child star curse."
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The Reality of the "Curse"
Dana wasn't just a victim of her own choices. She was part of a cast that was uniquely haunted. Gary Coleman was suing his parents for his lost fortune; Todd Bridges was battling intense drug addiction. They were children who were given everything and taught nothing about how to keep it.
The Impact on Her Legacy
When we look back at Dana Plato in Playboy, it stands as a marker. It was the moment she tried to take control. She failed, but the attempt says everything about the impossible expectations placed on young women in Hollywood. You’re expected to be a child forever, then suddenly a sex symbol, and then—if you stumble—a cautionary tale.
Dana died of an overdose on May 8, 1999, just one day after a harrowing interview on The Howard Stern Show. She was 34.
The Playboy issue remains a collector's item today, not necessarily for the "mature image" she wanted to project, but as a bittersweet relic of a woman trying to find a way out of a house that was already on fire.
Actionable Insights for Media Literacy
If you're researching the history of child stars or the evolution of celebrity branding, consider these points:
- Analyze the "Pivot": Contrast Dana's Playboy attempt with modern stars who successfully transitioned (like Drew Barrymore). Notice how "reclaiming" an image requires a support system that Dana simply lacked.
- Verify the Sources: When reading about her "pornography" career, distinguish between her Playboy pictorial, her B-movies, and the actual softcore films. The "all-or-nothing" narrative often ignores the nuance of her struggling career.
- Contextualize the 1980s: Understand that in 1989, there was no "influencer" culture or social media to help a star humanize themselves. If the magazine didn't work, there was no Plan B.
You can find digital archives of 1980s trade magazines like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter to see how the industry actually reacted to her shoot at the time, which provides a much clearer picture than modern tabloid summaries.