Happy Days Star Erin Moran Dead at 56

TMZ reports the actress recenty passed away

By McKenna Aiello Apr 23, 2017 1:14 AMTags
Erin Moran, Fallen StarDavid Livingston/Getty Images

The Happy Days cast lost one of its own. 

Erin Moran has passed away at the age of 56, E! News can confirm. 

The Harrison County Sheriffs Department in Harrison County, Ind. tells E! News in a statement, "On April 22, 2017 at approximately 4:07 p.m., the Harrison County Sheriffs Department received a 911 call that referenced an unresponsive female. Upon the arrival of first responders, it was determined that Erin Marie Moran Fleischmann was deceased and an autopsy is pending."

Moran skyrocketed to fame in the 1970s when she was cast as Joanie Cunningham on the widely beloved sitcom, Happy Days. The actress starred as Ron Howard's character's outspoken younger sister before landing a titular role in Happy Days spin-off Joanie Loves Chachie alongside Scott Baio

Despite Joanie Loves Chachies's one-season run, Erin returned to Happy Days for its eleventh and final season in 1984. She went on to make smaller television appearances on series including Murder, She Wrote and The Love Boat

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Celebrity Deaths: 2017's Fallen Stars
ABC

In 2008, Moran competed on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club

The celebrity's later years were plagued by hardship, as in 2012 it was reported that Erin was homeless and living in hotels after being kicked out of her mother-in-law's Indiana mobile home due to hard-partying.That same year the Happy Days cast settled a royalties lawsuit that awarded Moran, and five of her co-stars $65,000 each. 

Bewitched star Erin Murphy confirmed her passing on Twitter, writing, "So sad to share that my friend Erin Moran has passed away. Rest In Peace, sweet girl"

Our thoughts are with Moran's family at this time. 

TMZ was first to report the news. 

—Reporting by Alli Rosenbloom