Facts of Life’s Lisa Whelchel Reunited With TV Cousin Jeri Days Before Nixed Reboot Claims
The fact of the matter is Lisa Whelchel remains in touch with at least some members of her Facts of Life family.
As fans of the ‘80s sitcom continue to speculate as to who stalled a possible reboot, one actress proved she remains friendly with a recurring guest star
“We aren’t technically family, but since we played one on TV (Cousin Geri) and we’ve known each other for almost a half a century, it sure feels like it!” Whelchel, 61, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, July 20. “So good to catch up with the funny and wise and deep and talented, Geri Jewell!”
In the photos, Whelchel — who portrayed Eastland School for Young Women boarding school student and spoiled rich girl Blair Warner — was all smiles when she posed with Jewell, 67, who played cousin Geri Tyler. Now a motivational speaker as well as a standup comedian, Jewell has cerebral palsy, as did her fictional sitcom character — a milestone for representation of those with disabilities on TV in the '80s.
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The photo post came after sitcom star Mindy Cohn revealed that there were serious discussions about a Facts of Life spinoff series starring herself, Whelchel, Kim Fields and Nancy McKeon.
“We had all never really talked about it, but we all started to consider it a little bit,” Cohn recalled during the July 19 episode of SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live. “We got into talks and we hired a writer. The four of us got together on a Zoom — this was during COVID — and we had meetings with Norman [Lear] about it.”
While things got off to a good start, Cohn, 58, claimed “there was drama” that quickly dashed all hope of a possible reboot.
“One of the girls went behind our backs to try to make a separate deal for a spinoff deal just for herself and devastated the rest of us,” she said. “I’m just saying, for a 40-year friendship and sisterhood, there was a tidal wave of emotion around it.”
While Cohn declined to reveal which of her former Facts of Life costars was a “greedy bitch,” she suggested that there may be some clues on social media. (Fans later discovered Cohn’s Instagram shows her hanging out with Fields, 55, and McKeon, 58, over the past few years, but there are seemingly no photos of Whelchel.)
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“Some people are so desperate for either money or fame that it causes them to do things that to me, I guess, I’m still not that jaded,” Cohn cryptically shared. “It shocks me.”
Whelchel, who worked with Fields in Hallmark’s For Better or Worse in 2014, has not publicly commented on the speculation.
Us Weekly has reached out to reps for all four women for comment but has not heard back.
