Betty A. Bridges, Actress and Mother of Todd Bridges, Dies at 83

Actress Betty A. Bridges, the mother of Diff’rent Strokes star Todd Bridges who acted in many shows including the sitcom Hill Street Blues, Ally McBeal and many others has been reported dead. She was 83. 
 
Bridges passed away Wednesday in hospice at Todd’s home in Phoenix, his publicist Elizabeth has said. 
 
For four decades, Betty Alice Bridges popped up on Police Woman, Good Times, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman and Quincy, M. E. , Flamingo Road, Lou Grant, Dallas, NYPD Blue, ER and Scrubs. 
 
The Dallas native also featured in such other productions as A Night at the Roxbury in 1998 and Building Bridges in 2000, which was a 45- minute feature targeting Todd who was a child actor in Hollywood and who like any other dowager had some time in trouble. 
 
Bridges was also a manager, as well as an acting coach – she co-founded Kane Bridge Academy – and among her students were Nia Long, Reina and Regina King, Sanaa Lathan, Tony O’Dell, Marcus Chong and Shashawnee Hall. 
 
Besides Todd, 59, other children include, Jimmy Bridges and Verda Bridges, both are actors together with Zerondrick; 12 grandkids; and three great grandkids. 
 
She was married to talent agent James Bridges Sr from 1960 until 1983 when they divorce. 
 
In Todd’s journey towards rehabilitation of his alcoholism, bridges was instrumental and his mother the epitome of tough love for which he had to regain his sobriety, the strength, and support from family and friends are what help one through the most challenging times in life according to his family. 
 
Others can be given in her honour to the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation to ‘embrace the life of Betty and the recovery that Todd’s every day embodies.