Grace Under Fire was a successful Chuck Lorre sitcom that ran from 1993 to 1998 and starred Brett Butler, a stand-up comedian who hit the big time with the show. Unfortunately, the success couldn't curtail her drug use, and Butler was actually asked to leave the series, which is why it wound up cancelled. If that was all there was to the story, it would end there, however, in 2011, several sources reported that Butler was living in a homeless shelter (she has since begun appearing in Charlie Sheen's Anger Management). And again, if that was it - some rumours of drug addiction that led to a downward spiral - the show might not be here. However, Butler's drug-fueled antics got bad. Really bad. She allegedly exposed her breasts (she'd had work done) to Jon Paul Steuer, the 12-year old actor who played her son on the show (other reports say she flashed her ass). The kid's parents felt her behaviour was detrimental to his well-being, and yanked him. He was replaced. EW also reported in 1997 that Butler refused to fly with the rest of the cast to Las Vegas to film scenes for the show, and demanded her own jet - which she got. She was also accused of keeping the cast waiting to shoot scenes. Julie White, who played Grace's best friend Nadine on the series, eventually left the show because of Butler's antics. Backstage, the show went through five different producers during its run, showing just how tedious working with Butler could be. It was a top 10 show for a couple of years, but between Butler's behaviour, all the cast and crew changes, and multiple stints in rehab for the star (which caused the show to be temporarily shut down at least once), it just wasn't worth the effort to keep going.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
