America first met Tracey Gold in 1985 when she starred on the hit sitcom Growing Pains… and Oprah first met her when a 16-year-old Tracey appeared as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show. At the time her fans didn't realize that Tracey was secretly starving herself. But she couldn't keep it a secret for long. Everyone could see that she was wasting away to nothing, battling anorexia.
With intense therapy, Tracey beat her anorexia. She fell in love and married her long-time love, Roby Marshall, and Hollywood was no longer a priority. Then in 2002, Tracey returned to The Oprah Winfrey Show after another personal crisis: Her son Bailey nearly drowned in the backyard pool.
Then, just a few months ago, Tracey was in the headlines again. Just before midnight on September 3, 2004, returning home from a Labor Day barbecue with her family, Tracey lost control of her SUV on the freeway. It veered off the road and rolled over several times down an embankment, injuring her husband and two of her three children.
When police arrived, Tracey was arrested for driving under the influence. Her blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit. In court, Tracey pled guilty to drunk driving and was sentenced to a one-month work release program, 240 hours of community service and three years probation.
Published 04/11/2005
