How Did Gary Coleman Really Die? His Ex-Wife Takes Lie Detector Test in New A&E Series [VIDEO]
Gary Coleman’s ex-wife is answering questions about her former husband’s death.
Shannon Price and the Diff’rent Strokes star divorced in 2008 but were still living together when he died in 2010 following a fall at his Utah home. Since then, questions have been raised about what role Price might have played in the actor’s death, including in a 2024 Peacock documentary. Now, Price has agreed to take a polygraph test to address suspicions about Coleman’s death.
Gary Coleman’s ex-wife answers questions about his 2010 fall
Price appears in the new A&E series Lie Detector: Truth or Deception, which premieres July 10. The episode revisits the circumstances surrounding Coleman’s death and explores whether there are legitimate questions about what happened to the actor.
In a teaser for the series premiere, Price sits down with former FBI agent and veteran polygraph examiner George Olivo.
“Shannon, what exactly are we trying to resolve here?” he asks.
“Being accused of murder, being a killer,” she replies.
“If you had anything to do physically with Gary’s fall, the polygraph’s going to show that,” Olivo warns Price.
Meanwhile, other interviewees express their suspicions about what happened to Coleman.
“Little by little, I started to feel like there was something more to Gary’s death than just a simple accident,” one says.
Dion Mial, a friend of the actor, accuses Price of being abusive and making derogatory comments about the short-statured Coleman.
As a child, Coleman — who stood 4 feet 8 inches tall due to a congenital kidney disease — became a TV star thanks to his role as the wise-cracking Arnold Jackson in Diff’rent Strokes. But after the show ended in 1986, Coleman’s career stagnated. He sued his parents and former manager for stealing money he’d earned from the series and later filed for bankruptcy.
In the late 1990s, Coleman was working as a security guard at a California store when he made headlines after assaulting an autograph-seeker. His relationship with Price was tumultuous and featured allegations of domestic violence on both sides. Despite their divorce, Coleman had signed an advance directive giving her permission to make medical decisions if he was incapacitated. After his fall, which led to a brain hemorrhage, Coleman, 42, spent two days in the hospital before Price took him off life support, according to Entertainment Weekly.
‘Lie Detector: Truth or Deception’ premieres July 10
After exploring the circumstances of Coleman’s death, future episodes of Lie Detector (which is hosted by investigative journalist Tony Harris) will look at other compelling cases with unresolved questions.
Matheau Moore, who was acquitted in 2022 of murdering his wife, Emily Noble, will take a polygraph in the hopes of proving that he is not a killer and that his spouse did die by suicide. Edward Ates served 20 years for a murder of a neighbor, but he insists he is innocent. He wants to use the lie detector to clear his name, once and for all. And Jesse Holton, who was accused of murdering his parents in 2016, submits to Olivo’s questions with the hope it will finally end suspicions that he was responsible for their deaths.
Lie Detector: Truth or Deception premieres Thursday, July 10 at 9 p.m. ET on A&E.
For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.
