The late Gary Coleman, child-star of “Diff’rent Strokes” fame, earned $100,000 per episode at the height of his career. Unfortunately, his blue-collar adoptive parents, Edmonia Sue and W.G. Coleman, pocketed most of it. In 1989, Gary Coleman embarked on a 5-year-long lawsuit against his parents and former business adviser over misappropriation of his $3.8 million trust fund. He won a $1,280,000 judgment in 1993.
Despite having worked steadily for most of his young life, Coleman’s adulthood was spent trying to eke out a living doing guest appearances on television and working as a security guard. Coleman remained estranged from his parents until his death in 2010.
