Gary Coleman’s Ex Fails Lie Detector on Live TV, Reigniting Death Mystery
15 years after the Diff’rent Strokes star’s death, Shannon Price fails a key polygraph question — and fans are paying attention
July 9 EST: Gary Coleman hasn’t starred in anything since the mid-2000s, but somehow, the late Diff’rent Strokes actor just pulled in higher ratings than half the shows on network TV — courtesy of a failed polygraph test, a rattled ex-wife, and a wave of fans who never stopped wondering what really happened the day he died.
On last night’s episode of A&E’s Lie Detector: Truth or Deception, Shannon Price — Coleman’s ex-wife and the only other person in the house the day he fell — took a polygraph. When asked if she physically caused the fall that led to his 2010 death, she flunked it. Not “inconclusive.” Not “needs review.” Just straight-up “deception indicated.”
A Pop Culture Mystery, Reopened on Prime Time
For those who haven’t kept up: Coleman died in May 2010 after suffering a head injury at his Utah home. The death was ruled accidental, and no charges were filed. But it never stopped feeling… off.
Price and Coleman had divorced in 2008, but were still living together when he died. She was the one who called 911. She was also the one who decided to take him off life support two days later. That always raised eyebrows — and the brows just shot up again.
Enter George Olivo, a former FBI interrogator with the energy of a man who’s seen too much. He ran the polygraph on Price and didn’t hesitate to suggest that she’s withholding something. “She knows why she failed,” he said. “There’s more to the story than she’s telling.”
Coleman’s Final Season Was Full of Red Flags
Before his death, Gary Coleman’s life had already taken on the tone of a cautionary VH1 special: financial trouble, health issues, legal drama, and a deeply complicated relationship with Price. In February 2010 — just three months before he died — he reportedly filed a restraining order against her, citing concerns for his safety.
And yet, she remained in his home. By May, he was gone.
Now, in 2025, that timeline is back in the spotlight — thanks to Lie Detector and a new wave of retrospectives like Peacock’s documentary Gary, which aired last year and dredged up a lot of old doubts. Former friends and his ex-girlfriend Anna Gray have gone on record saying they never fully believed Price’s version of events.
The Polygraph Heard Around the Internet
The polygraph test didn’t stop at just one damning question. There were also inconclusive results about whether Price hit Coleman or failed to help him. But the “Did you cause the fall?” part came back loud and clear.
Price says the setup was “unfair” and insists she’s innocent — and for what it’s worth, no criminal case has ever been opened. But the court of public opinion? That’s a different story. Twitter (sorry, X) lit up with theories, jokes, and a healthy dose of side-eye.
Even among skeptics of polygraphs — which are inadmissible in court and famously imperfect — the reaction was less “well, that proves nothing” and more “yep, that tracks.”
The Gary Effect: Why This Still Matters
So why does all of this hit so hard in 2025? Because Gary Coleman wasn’t just a sitcom kid. He was the sitcom kid. The highest-paid child actor of his time. A pop culture icon who never got the second act he deserved.
And his death — quiet, strange, and surrounded by question marks — felt like the final punchline to a joke that never landed. This latest wrinkle doesn’t offer closure, but it reopens the mystery with just enough fire to make people care again.
For fans who watched Diff’rent Strokes reruns after school or followed Coleman’s post-fame tabloid spiral, this polygraph is more than a TV stunt. It’s a reminder that justice for fallen stars isn’t always about trials and verdicts — sometimes, it’s about not letting their stories get buried under awkward interviews and dusty headlines.
As for Shannon Price, she says she’s “at peace.” But now that everyone’s watching again, peace may be a little harder to find.
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
