The Love Boat's Fred Grandy Says Lauren Tewes 'Was a Victim of Circumstance' Being Fired for Drug Addiction

Mar. 15, 2025

Tewes, 70, got sober, but she did not participate inPrincess Cruises’latestLove Boatat Sea Celebration, which saw stars Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell,Ted LangeandJill Whelanreunite on the Enchanted Princess cruise ship for a seven-night sailing out of New York City beginning on Aug. 31. But fans didn’t forget about Tewes, and when one brought her up during theLove Boat: Behind the Scenes Stories panel on Friday, Sept. 6, the cast had nothing but kind words to say about her.

Lauren Tewes and Fred Grandy on ‘The Love Boat’ in 1983.ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Grandy, 76, shared with the audience in the Princess Theater that Tewes came to see him, Lange, 76, and Whelan in the playI’m Not Rappaportthat they did together in Michigan earlier this year. “She came and watched two nights of the show,” the former politician, who played purser Burl “Gopher” Smith onThe Love Boat, said. “It was lovely.”

Lange, a self-proclaimed “Shakespeare buff,” recalled doing a production ofThe Taming of the Shrewwith Tewes. “We had a ball,” he said.

Whelan said she sees Tewes regularly. “She will fly to my house and we’ll spend the weekend together cooking and just laughing and sharing stories all the time,” the former child star explained.

Lauren Tewes and Bernie Kopell in L.A. in May 2018.Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Grandy acknowledged that “the circumstances of her departure were not so lovely,” and he blamed the outdated understanding about drug addiction at the time for how everything played out with Tewes.

“This would’ve been the early ’80s, substance abuse on a set in those days was a punishable offense. It was not a healthcare problem, and it was not understood in the way it is understood now,” Grandy said. “And to some degree, she was a victim of circumstance at the time because the attention and care and therapy she should have gotten was meted out in the form of discipline.”

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Grandy noted that Tewes “has recovered magnificently” and “even though she is not here, she is as much a part of the family as anybody else up on this stage.”

While speaking to PEOPLE on the Enchanted Princess, Grandy said thatThe Love Boatserved as “a launching pad” for himself, Lange and Tewes.

“It allowed us to go on to do other things,” said Grandy, who went on to serve four terms as Republican congressman for his home state of Iowa. “I never would’ve won my first congressional election without this show. I wasn’t sure when I first entered into the competition that it was going to pay off, but people ask me now, ‘What’s the secret to winning a congressional seat?’ And I say, ‘First of all, raise a lot of money. You have to know the territory that you’re covering extremely well. You have to be up to speed on the issues. You have to be somewhat articulate, and you have to be on a hit show.’"

‘The Love Boat’ stars (from left) Bernie Kopell, Jill Whelan, Ted Lange and Fred Grandy on the Enchanted Princess on Sept. 6, 2024.Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises

Today, Grandy marvels atThe Love Boat’s “continued durability” and “its increasing popularity,” which already inspired anotherLove BoatCelebration at Sea, slated to leave from Galveston, Texas on the Regal Princess in November 2025.

“You can see the synergy between the popularity of the show and the enormous appeal of cruising, which has probably been one of the most harmonious business partnerships in the history of commerce,” Grandy said. “I find astonishing is that it’s the show that refuses to die. It’s likeThe Walking Deadwith piña coladas.”

‘The Love Boat’ stars (from left) Ted Lange, Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Gavin MacLeod, Lauren Tewes and Jill Whelan in 1979.ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

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Grandy and his castmates hosted meet and greets with fans throughout their time on the Enchanted Princess, but they also happily greeted guests and snapped selfies with them while meandering around the ship or its stops in Boston, Maine and Canada. Grandy even popped in for drinks with some fans at an Irish pub in Saint John, New Brunswick.

“I had been walking around town and was coming back to the ship and I passed this Irish pub called O’Leary’s,” he recalled. “There were some very nice passengers in there getting totally hammered, and they came out and dragged me into that bar, and I spent another hour drinking with them.”

“I was surprised at how much of a culture it becomes for people,” Grandy said of cruising. “I’ve met people on these things that are on their 67th cruise. There are people that live to come on these. They’re already anticipating doing another one of these out of Galveston next year, so I think as long as we’re upright, they’ll keep trying to do this.”

source: people.com