A Look Back at the Tragic Life and Death of Former Child Star Adam Rich (TV's 'Eight is Enough')

Photo byCountryMusicFamily.com

Adam Rich was born on October 12, 1968, lived a troubled life, and died on January 7, 2023, at only 54 years old. This is his story.

A Closer Look

He lived in the Granada Hills area of Los Angeles with his parents and younger brother. The Rich family resided for a time in Florida where Adam studied acting at the local gym.

In 1986, when he was 17 years old, the young actor dropped out of high school. Three years later, he nearly died of a valium overdose.

On April 16, 1991, Rich was arrested following a shoplifting spree in a pharmacy and a Bullock's department store in the Northridge area of Los Angeles. Actor Dick Van Patten, his TV father, paid his bail and he was released.

In 1996, there was a media hoax that Rich had been murdered; the story was published in the San Francisco-based magazine Might, with Rich's consent.

In 2002, Rich was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI). He acknowledged publicly his bouts with depression and substance abuse in the months before he passed away.

A Conclusive Investigation

A coroner’s investigation into the demise of Adam Rich determined the Eight Is Enough child star died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner said in its report that the death was from the effects of the powerful opioid. The cause and manner of the child star’s death was ruled an accident.