Why This 80s Bombshell Left Hollywood – The Man She Shot & the Truth Behind Her Exit

Her role as Jody catapulted her into the public eye, but it was her unmistakable charm and captivating looks that made her an icon of the era.

The television star’s posters became staples across the country — adorning bar walls, college dorms, locker doors, janitors’ closets, and the garages of young men. They stood toe-to-toe with the famed images of Farrah Fawcett, leaving a bold imprint on pop culture.

Her image may have graced countless walls, but behind the fame, life brought sudden challenges. Not long after “The Fall Guy” was canceled, she was struck by a car in Los Angeles while crossing San Vicente Boulevard, just after leaving a market.

The vehicle, moving at approximately 15 to 20 miles per hour, caused significant injuries, including fractures in both legs. The Hollywood star was rushed to Saint John’s Hospital, where, according to a spokesperson, her doctor “performed extensive plastic surgery during the night on her left leg.”

Thankfully, the actress’s condition was stable. Authorities confirmed she wasn’t cited for jaywalking, and the driver faced no charges, as the incident was deemed unavoidable. The physical injuries she sustained eventually healed, but a deeper sense of unease followed her long after the cameras stopped rolling.

When “The Fall Guy” ended, the public figure chose to step away from Hollywood. On the March 17, 2025 episode of the “Still Here Hollywood” podcast with Steve Kmetko, she shared that the decision came after enduring constant threats that deeply affected her sense of safety.

“I was just getting so many stalkers,” the veteran star revealed, adding that it was “really bad,” with incidents occurring no fewer than two each week. The danger was evident. There were numerous restraining orders in place, and one incident involved a man who appeared at their gate with a large buck knife.

With two young daughters at home, the fear was constant. “In those days, I don’t know if this is true now, but people would fixate. You could be in a soap commercial, and they would fixate on you,” the celebrity explained. The ongoing danger reached a point where everyday life required continuous caution and protective measures.

At the time, legal protections were limited. Stalker laws were nearly nonexistent, and the threats remained very real. One individual even sent a box of bullets, while others mailed funeral wreaths taken from cemeteries. The fear didn’t stop at the mailbox.

To feel any sense of security at home, the star kept a bodyguard on the property — admitting she never wanted to return to a dark, empty house. Despite the security measures in place, the threats continued to escalate.

In one alarming encounter, “I had one guy one night cut my screen in my bedroom and got in, and I shot him,” the actress disclosed. The gun had been loaded with rock salt. Whether the intruder faced jail time remains unknown.

Even after stepping away from the industry, the stalking persisted for several years. She rarely discusses those experiences, explaining that she does not want to be known as “the lady that was stalked.”

Another reason she walked away from Hollywood was her desire to be more present for her children, who, at the time, knew little about the dangers she had faced.

The celebrity shares three daughters — India, Shauna, and Kristina Brittenham — with her second husband, attorney Harry M. Brittenham, whom she wed in 1992. Before that, she was briefly married to Alan Rosenthal from 1985 to 1986.

Though the Hollywood star’s priorities shifted toward family life, she never fully stepped away from her craft. After “The Fall Guy” wrapped, she continued making appearances on both television and in films, including 1990’s “Red Blooded American Girl” and 1997’s “Against the Law.” Years later, she made a return to the screen.

In 2024, the actress reunited with Lee Majors for a cameo in “The Fall Guy” — a feature film inspired by the show that first brought them into the spotlight. The movie stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Heather Thomas’s return to the spotlight wasn’t confined to the screen — she also made a public appearance at the red carpet premiere of the film.

The event sparked a wave of online reactions to her physical appearance, with opinions sharply divided. Some people expressed disappointment, with one writing, “I just wish she had grown old gracefully… you can’t turn back the clocks…[sic].”

“Sad… she destroyed her face,” said one person. Another questioned, “WHY do they all get plastic surgery [sic],” while one individual simply noted, “Time is Aggressive [sic].”

However, other people offered warm praise. One admirer wrote, “Heather Thomas is beautiful inside and out. She is 100% the real deal. A defender of good.” Another called her “An excellent woman,” while one other fan gushed, “She’s still gorgeous,” and another echoed, “Beautiful and very cool.”

While reactions to her appearance varied, the 67-year-old’s experiences in the industry run far deeper than public perception. During the “Still Here Hollywood” podcast , she shared how Hollywood often reduced women to their appearance, particularly during the 1980s.

Thomas acknowledged using her image as part of the business, viewing it as a way to sell things. Though she felt satisfied with her body and recognized the effort she had put in, she also described the emotional distance it required, noting that it involved a certain amount of disassociation.

In the early days of her career, while still a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), her initial goal was to write and direct. However, she described the environment as “rough” for women.

Acting brought immediate financial success; she recalled making a significant amount of money and chose what she considered the path of least resistance, leading her to pursue work in front of the camera.

Although acting became the more immediate path, her foundation in storytelling had always been rooted in writing. In an interview once, she shared that her journey began at UCLA’s film school, where she wrote plays, screenplays, and television scripts.

That background eventually led her to pursue novel writing. In an interview from several years ago, Thomas expressed a desire to create something entirely her own, saying she wanted to write “without anyone sticking their fingers in it for awhile.”

The idea for her book “Trophies” emerged from her experience after marrying an influential figure in the entertainment industry. She observed the shift in how people treated her — no longer just a celebrity attending events, but someone viewed as a gatekeeper for charitable access.

“They think you have lists of people that can help their charity,” she said. “Part of it is that you have the money and part of it is that you have the time.”