HEATHER LOCKLEAR The rise and
devastating fall of a television icon
eather Locklear once had it all. The quintessential all-american blonde was a fan favourite in the 1980s and ’90s, lighting up the small screen in hit series Dynasty and Melrose Place. High-profile marriages to two rock stars didn’t hurt, either. And she was even idolised by the boys in Wayne’s World, who reasoned that if Locklear were to run for president she’d be “Babe-raham Lincoln”.
But the star has since crashed back to Earth. Mental breakdowns, alleged substanceabuse issues and run-ins with authorities have seen Locklear make headlines for all the wrong reasons.
On Nov. 19, Locklear, 57, was placed on a psychiatric hold after allegedly beating up her boyfriend, former American Motorcycle Association motocross racer Chris Heisser. She was taken to hospital after her therapist determined she was having a breakdown. “Deputies responded to Ms Locklear’s home regarding a medical call,” Sgt. Eric Buschow of Ventura County Sheriff’s Office told WHO. “There was no crime.”
And this was just the latest incident. In June, Locklear was hospitalised after she threatened to commit suicide because she thought Heisser was cheating on her. Four days later, she was arrested after allegedly attacking an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). Hours later, she was back in hospital for a possible overdose.
In February this year, Locklear was charged with domestic violence and battery of a police officer. When police arrived at her home, Locklear allegedly swore at them and kicked a male police officer in the groin. A relative later told the New York Post, “She is still so beautiful. There is still so much to live for.”
Her issues can be traced back to 2008, when Locklear was treated in an Arizona medical facility for anxiety and depression. Later that year, she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
For fans who grew up watching Locklear on screen, her tumultuous personal life in recent years has been tough to watch. Her dramas are a far cry from Locklear’s glory days in her signature role as Amanda Woodward – a villainous vixen with a voracious appetite for men – in Melrose Place. With her sharp skirts, and even sharper claws, Locklear won fans and garnered award nominations for her performance.
Locklear started her career as a model, landing small TV roles before being cast as conniving Sammy Jo Carrington in Dynasty, in 1981. Her character regularly locked horns with Joan Collins’ icy Alexis Colby. The role brought her into the orbit of iconic TV producer Aaron Spelling, who once referred to Locklear as his “good luck charm”. The actresses’ solid work ethic and dependability saw her cast in other Spelling productions, such as TJ Hooker, opposite William Shatner, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat.
By the mid-’80s, Locklear was a bona fide star; a pin-up girl with a G-rated image. Many people were surprised when she started dating and eventually married bad boy Tommy Lee, the big-haired drummer from notorious LA rock band Mötley Crüe.
After meeting at an REO Speedwagon concert in 1985, Locklear, then 24, married Lee, 23, about a year later on May 10, 1986, at a lavish wedding at the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara. “I’ve only thought of getting married once,” Locklear said at the time. “I plan for this one to last.”
They lasted seven years before splitting in 1993. Clearly, Locklear had a thing for rockers, for a year later she married Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora. They divorced in 2006, and have a daughter together, Ava Elizabeth Sambora, who was born Oct. 4, 1997.
Locklear can bounce back from her latest drama. She’s done it before. Speaking to The New York Times in 2009, ahead of appearing in a Melrose Place reboot, Locklear said: “You can’t help but be scrutinised, so I might as well be doing something while I’m being scrutinised. People can talk about whatever they want, but this is what’s happening now. I don’t look back.”
“She is still so beautiful” —Locklear’s relative