After losing her baby, she quit Hollywood and took up work as a cheese steward

Lauren Tewes, best known as the cruise director on The Love Boat, faced public scrutiny and career setbacks after her battle with cocaine addiction. Once a beloved TV star, she was dismissed from the show after seven years due to her substance abuse.

Tewes began her role as Julie McCoy in 1977 at age 23, winning the part over 100 other candidates. She starred alongside Gavin McLeod, Jill Whelan, Bernie Kopell, Fred Grandy, and Ted Lange, becoming a fan favorite on the Pacific Princess.

By season eight, Tewes was replaced by Patricia Klous, who played her on-screen sister, Judy McCoy. Executive producer Douglas Cramer cited “severe problems” caused by her drug use as the reason for her firing in 1984.

Tewes has spoken openly about her cocaine use, describing the drug as giving her a false sense of courage. She struggled in isolation, beginning withdrawal in 1980 and achieving sobriety after several years, eventually turning her focus to theater work.

Her personal life included two divorces and later meeting Robert Nadir, whom she married in 1996. Tragically, Nadir passed from ALS in 2002, and earlier, in 1987, she lost her newborn daughter.

Although her TV career never fully recovered, Tewes made small appearances on shows like Who’s the Boss?, The Fugitive, and Twin Peaks. She also reunited with her Love Boat co-stars for special episodes, though she did not attend the recent themed cruise celebrations.

Today, at 70, Tewes balances acting with a role as a cheese specialist at a Seattle catering company. Former co-stars praise her resilience, talent, and warmth, describing her as a “spectacular actress” and a “genuine, sweet human being.”