Questions around Gary Coleman’s death have returned more than 15 years after the Diff’rent Strokes star died from a brain hemorrhage following a fall at his Utah home.
Coleman died on May 28, 2010, at age 42. His death was ruled accidental, and his ex-wife, Shannon Price, has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged in connection with his death, according to PEOPLE.
The renewed attention comes after Price appeared on A&E’s Lie Detector: Truth or Deception, where she voluntarily answered questions about Coleman’s final day. KFOX reported that the results raised new questions, but a lie detector test is not the same as a criminal finding or proof of guilt.
Price Was Asked About Coleman’s Final Fall
Coleman suffered a head injury in May 2010 after falling in the home he shared with Price in Utah. Price has said she was in bed while Coleman was making dinner when she heard a loud noise and later found him on the kitchen floor.
PEOPLE reported that Coleman died two days later at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo after suffering a brain hemorrhage. Price later authorized doctors to remove him from life support.
Coleman had dealt with serious health problems since childhood, including a lifelong kidney condition, transplants, dialysis, and seizures. Police said in 2010 that there was no evidence of foul play, and PEOPLE reported that Coleman’s death was ruled accidental.
The Lie Detector Results Did Not Resolve the Questions
On Lie Detector: Truth or Deception, Price was asked whether she ever struck Coleman during their relationship. KFOX reported that former FBI agent George Olivo told her he would not say she passed that part of the test.
Price was also asked whether she intentionally withheld proper aid after Coleman fell. KFOX reported that the result on that question was inconclusive.
The most serious question focused on whether Price physically caused Coleman to fall. PEOPLE reported that Price answered no, but the test indicated deception. Price maintained her innocence and pointed to the fact that she was not charged after the investigation into Coleman’s death.
The 911 Call and Life Support Decision Remain Part of the Scrutiny
Part of the continued scrutiny comes from the 911 call Price made after Coleman’s fall. PEOPLE reported that audio from the call, later played in the 2024 Peacock documentary GARY, included Price refusing some of the operator’s instructions because of the blood at the scene.
Price has also faced criticism for taking Coleman off life support two days after the fall. PEOPLE reported that one of Coleman’s friends, Anna Gray, said Coleman had an advance healthcare directive stating that he wanted at least two weeks of care before life support was removed.
Price has defended her decision. She has said doctors told her Coleman was not going to recover, and she has denied causing his fall or intentionally failing to help him.
Price Still Denies Hurting Coleman
Price has continued to deny hurting Coleman. On the A&E program, she said she would never hurt him because his life was already fragile, according to KFOX.
PEOPLE reported that Price said she was “at peace” after the test and repeated that investigators had reviewed the case. Olivo told her he believed there was more to the story.
The test did not create a new criminal charge or change the official accidental-death ruling.