Kathy from ‘Father Knows Best’ Works in Church after 8 Miscarriages & Marriage at 16 — She’s a Granny & ‘Still Pretty’

• Kathy Anderson from “Father Knows Best” went through hell after the end of the series.
• She survived eight miscarriages, addictions, and a wedding at 16.
• Lauren Chapin chose a life far from television, now works in a church at 78, and is a happy grandmother despite her illness.

Lauren Chapin found immense fame when she was cast to star as the young Kathy “Kitten” Anderson in “Father Knows Best.” She was featured in almost every episode of the series, and for her role, she earned five Children’s Emmy Awards.

As a young girl, she was the envy of many, having lots of money, being famous, and seemingly having all she wished for. However, the truth was that her life wasn’t an easy one, and she faced different challenges from a young age.

Marguerite Chapin, Lauren’s mother, took her to audition for the role of Anderson while her older brother and eldest sibling, Michael Chapin, pushed to play Bud in the same series. The actress’ mother recalled how her daughter was incapable of reading, nor did she have acting experience.

Marguerite confessed that if her daughter hadn’t gotten the role of Anderson, she would’ve broken the heart of a “little girl.” Years later, at age 66, Lauren fondly recalled her time in “Father Knows Best,” saying:

“I grew up in a make-believe fairyland.”

The star described her time on the show as “the most wonderful.” However, her life after the show was as rosey as she struggled with relationships, illegal substances, and her journey to motherhood.

An August 1983 newspaper article noted how people loved Lauren in her role as Anderson because she represented what they lacked. Women saw her as the perfect little sister, while men saw a potential girlfriend.

However, when her fans heard about how a part of her reached the “bottom,” it dawned on them that she wasn’t her character. Lauren was pressured to live like Anderson in real life, with her mother making her dress like the character.

Marguerite never allowed her daughter to look like herself; she always dressed her in bobby socks and styled her hair into pigtails. The star retaliated by rolling up her jeans, removing her socks, and insisting to her mother that she wished to be herself.

In response, the parent would guilt her by asking how Lauren could shame her that way. Marguerite insisted that her daughter couldn’t be herself because she had to be Anderson, and when the series concluded, the actress’s relationship with her parents worsened.

The celebrity admitted that when the show ended, everything ended for her as she couldn’t find acting work. She was typecast as Anderson, and the more she was jobless, the more her mother drank and the more Lauren became hostile.

The star began running away from home and was incurable in her behavior. She even quit high school, started using illegal substances -which put her career on hold – dated casually, had eight miscarriages, and at 16, married a former classmate who worked as an auto mechanic.

Lauren also withdrew thousands of dollars from a savings account, and within eight months, it was all gone. The former actress lived on welfare, ended up in mental health institutions and rehabilitation centers, and her substance abuse landed her in and out of prison!

Her marriage as a teenager also concluded in divorce after two years. In 2012, Marguerite’s daughter said her life for the past 25 years had nothing to do with the “wounded and hurt” little girl she once was.

After experiencing a very dark period in her life, Lauren was now living a completely different one that was more healthy and productive. It included faith and doting on her children and grandchild.

By 2012, Lauren had spent the last decades working as a motivational speaker at churches nationwide since becoming a born-again Christian. The celebrity even relocated from Texas to Vero Beach three years before so she could work at a local church.

Instead, she stayed because she became fond of the area. The actress was even keen on having a countrywide performance of “Forever Kitten,” her one-woman show based on her childhood character, Anderson.

In April 2012, lucky fans paid $25 in advance or $30 at the door to watch the show at The Emerson Center in Vero Beach, Florida. Those who were keen saw the star at the event in the late afternoon at 5 p.m.

Marguerite’s daughter wished to bring back the perfect family ideal from her series, despite having a different line than the one depicted in “Father Knows Best.” Lauren wanted people to return to the times when they could sit at the table and ask their children how their days were.

She wanted people to return to being a part of a family unit and love their children. In 1989, the actress shared with the world about her life on “Father Knows Best” and the tragedies she experienced after leaving it in “Father Does Know Best: The Lauren Chapin Story,” a book she co-wrote.

The star also welcomed two children, a daughter, Summer, and a son Matthew. The mother of two wasn’t delusional and knew that her children would hear about the bad things she did from their friends because people could be cruel.

However, she placed her faith and trust in Jesus to remedy the situation. Lauren honestly reflected on her life, saying she couldn’t blame anyone but herself for her past but only Jesus deserved gratitude for the present and future, adding:

“My goal now is to spread His word and honor His name.”

Despite her rough background, the celebrity had a close bond with her daughter, who shared a throwback Facebook post of her mother in 2016 for Mother’s Day. In the photo, Summer sat at a table with two other children eating cake as her mother looked over them.

The star’s daughter shared how lucky she was to have a beautiful and nurturing soul as a mother. She called Lauren her mentor and best friend before revealing she’d always be the actress’s “little girl.”

Summer wished her mother a Happy Mother’s Day, declared her love, and wished her a blessed and beautiful day. At the beginning of that same year, the celebrity shared a picture of her son and wished him a happy birthday.

In the image, Matthew posed with his mother’s grandson, Keegan Chapin, whom she adored. At the age of 78, Lauren was not only a happy mother and grandmother, but she was struggling with a disease she hadn’t opened up about.

On May 24, 2023, Lauren took to her Facebook account to share a picture of herself. The image showed how much the actress had aged, and in the caption, she gave her fans an update on her life and health.

The star revealed that six months before posting the photo, she’d gone through radiation and had been fighting radiation Pneumonitis for all that period. The mother of two noted how long her battle was and that she probably had to endure six more months of her struggles.

However, she still leaned on her faith, sharing how God reigned and kept his “loving hands” around her. The celebrity said God was still encouraging her every step of the way with the illness that she’d kept secret and fought alone until now.

Lauren confessed that she was now battling another infection that had her taking many medications that were supposed to help eliminate it. Despite everything she was going through with her health, the actress said the main point of her post was to encourage people not to give up.

Marguerite’s daughter urged people not to allow what “the enemy” threw at them to overpower them. She believed that trusting in God and Jesus made them strong and resilient because their power came from those two sources.

Lauren said her fans should praise God even during tough times because he’d never leave or forsake them. The words of encouragement she shared with her followers were more for herself but also as a ministry to those who believed.

The celebrity concluded her post by revealing to her fans that the image she uploaded was what she looked like after six months of taking Prednisone, and frankly, the star looked good. Someone who replied to the post said these encouraging words to Lauren about her looks and current battle:

“You’re still pretty! Wonderful news about your health.”

On May 31, 2023, she posted a story of another struggle she faced with photos of her posing with a scammer named Kelli Anne Stang. After reiterating her six-month battle, she revealed that she’d been “quietly” fighting something else that happened in November 2022.

Matthew’s mother said she hadn’t addressed the issue because she was “getting over” her lung cancer. Lauren shared that before her arrival home from California, she’d welcomed Stang, whom she’d known for 15 years.

Stang had led a women’s bible ministry, lived in Vero Beach, and got a room at the actress’s home because she needed a place to stay. The celebrity continued her cancer treatment in Los Angeles while Stang lived at her house. The woman was sweet until rent was due, but Lauren couldn’t do much about the situation because of her focus on her illness.

Ultimately, Stang left three months later without paying a cent, and when she returned home, she realized the woman was a thief and had robbed her. The woman even took the original manuscript and thousands of dollars worth of memorabilia to her autobiography.

Lauren believed Stang thought she would die in Los Angeles and stole items she could sell when she realized the actress was recovering. The heartbroken star hoped to get everything back and worked with the police, whom she had a tight case with because of all the evidence she had.

All she [Lauren Chapin] wished for was that people would assist her in getting her items back and vowed to see the matter through with the support and prayers from those who cared.

Her post was to warn others about Stang, who’d blocked her on social media and by phone. The actress showed her kindness and generosity when she revealed she’d initially helped the woman because her daughter kicked her out, and Stang had nowhere to go.

When the police contacted the alleged criminal, she denied knowing the celebrity, despite Lauren having a photo of her driver’s license and personal mail that was sent to her house. An indoor camera also captured Stang in the star’s home.

The mother of two said she wasn’t looking to get the woman arrested and didn’t wish to press charges as long as Stang got help and returned her things. The religious actress believed God would punish Stang more than a prison cell could.

She even pleaded with her friends to help pray in agreement with her wishes because some of the things that were taken were dear to her children. Summer’s mother also asked her followers to immediately alert her if they saw any of her items being sold online.

Lauren had gone as far as tagging Stang’s direct social media friends to make them aware of the situation. The actress felt it was heartbreaking that elderly abuse was something that happened daily to vulnerable and sick people who suffered manipulation and theft, adding:

“What’s even more heartbreaking is when it’s a ‘woman of God and friend’ who does this!!!”

All she wished for was that people would assist her in getting her items back, and she vowed to see the matter through with the support and prayers from those who cared. Despite all the heartbreak and drama, fans could see the celebrity’s current appearance on June 1, 2023’s Facebook image featuring her scammer.