Kristy McNichol is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is recognized for being part of movies such as ‘Little Darlings’ where she played the role of Angel. In the movie ‘Only When I Laugh’ Kristy played the role of Polly. She was Barbara Weston in the TV sitcom ‘Empty Nest’.
The two-time Emmy awards winner was born Christina Ann McNichol on the 11th of September 1962. She was brought up in Los Angeles, California. She has been active in the entertainment industry since the 1970s and lasted for about 3 decades.
Since her retirement, she has devoted her time to charitable works and functions. She even picked up a teaching job wherein a private school in Los Angeles where she teaches kids about acting.
Was Kristy McNichol Married To Martie Allen?
In 2012, McNichol revealed that she was and has been a lesbian. She admitted this after years of speculations from the media. She broke the news in 2012 and also revealed that she has been in a romantic relationship with Martie Allen.
Kristy and Martie had been living together since the early 1990s. Right now, Kristy and her spouse have been together for over 3 decades and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be parting ways soon.
Here Are Other Interesting Facts To Know About Kristy McNichol
1. Kristy McNichol’s Background
Kristy was born to half Scottish/Irish father James McNichol and Lebanese mother Carolyn McNichol. She has two recognized siblings known as Thomas and Jimmy McNichol. However, there is supposedly a sister related to Kristy called Jennifer Lucas.
Kristy’s dad was a carpenter and her mother worked different jobs at different times in order to help the family’s financial stand. Carolyn worked as a secretary, salesperson for cosmetics, and even as an extra in movies.
At the age of 6, Kristy and her elder brother, Jimmy then went on to land roles in commercials and that was the beginning of her career on TV and films. After the commercials, she then went on to make solo guest appearances on TV series for years.
2. She Was Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder
Sometime in 1992 while Kristy was playing the character ‘Barbara Weston’ in the movie ‘Empty nest’ she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This disorder was characterized by several bouts of depression and mood swings which could last for days and weeks.
Kristy had to leave the show but returned for its final episode in 1995 for her last on-screen performance.
Although she voiced characters in TV animations such as the 1997 ‘Extreme Ghostbusters’, and 1998’s ‘Invasion America’, she chose to retire from movies and focus on herself. Kristy set aside her 24 years of an active career in the movie industry in order to seek help and get better. She chose to focus on her mental health and decided that continuing in the movie space wasn’t going to help her health state.
3. What Caused Kristy’s Emotional Breakdown In The 1980s?
Kristy McNichol played the lead role in the movie ‘Just The Way You Are’. This movie was a comedy-drama which was filmed in France. During the shooting process of this movie, McNichol was beside herself. She cried a lot on and offset, she struggled, to sleep and when she did sleep, she had terrible nightmares. It was later revealed that her career had taken a toll on her strength and dexterity. She had always been acting from her early childhood and the pressures were catching up to her. People even speculated and accused her of substance abuse but that was refuted.
Eventually, the filming of the movie was paused until McNichol got better and could continue filming. She sought psychotherapy help and her brother, Jimmy gave her the support she needed.
4. Why She Came Out Of The Closet
After about 20 years of living with her partner, Martie Allen, Kristy finally opened up about her sexuality. She revealed on the 6th of January 2012 that she was a lesbian years after successfully ignoring comments and speculations.
She spoke up because she finally saw a need to. She wanted to help kids who were being bullied because of their sexual preference. She shared a photo of her and her partner, Allen, and spoke to People Magazine through her publicist, Jeff Ballard. Jeff relayed Kristy’s thoughts and words about her aim of helping kids who need support and confidence to speak up about their sexuality without fear.
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5. Kristy McNichol Was In A Relationship With Elisabeth Brooks
Before McNichol came out of the closet and admitted her sexuality, she was in a relationship with Elisabeth Brooks. Elisabeth was a Canadian actress fondly remembered for her role as Marsha Quist in the movie ‘The Howling’. However, Kristy and Elisabeth starred together in the 1989 movie ‘The Forgotten One’.
McNichol and Brooks were in a relationship until the 1990s and she then began to date Martie. Elisabeth died in 1997 of brain cancer and this death devastated Kristy but luckily, Martie was there to help her through it.
Prior to her relationship with Elisabeth Brooks, there isn’t any record of Kristy being in any relationship. however, after the death of Brooks, she moved on to her current partner of more than 20 years, Martie Allen whom she has been living with since the start of their relationship.
