Gary Coleman Suddenly Dead, Wife Shannon Price Awfully Quiet

Gary Coleman, beloved child star of the NBC hit sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," died Friday after suffering an intracranial brain hemorrhage believed to have been the result of a fall and a traumatic head injury. Little has been said about the circumstances surrounding the fall. And when little is said in Hollywood, or about someone or something connected to Hollywood (even in the most peripheral way), people will speculate, extrapolate, and occasionally fabricate (by use of the ever-reliable "anonymous source") their own versions of events. These alternate versions of events sometimes take on a life of their own and there is little doubt that the death of Gary Coleman will join those whose deaths are still the focus of conspiracy theories.

But why would Gary Coleman's death become a conspiracy theory?

There seems to be something missing in the death of Gary Coleman: the circumstances that surrounded the fall that supposedly caused the traumatic head injury that produced the intracranial brain hemorrhage that is believed to have been the cause of the "Diff'rent Strokes" actor's coma and subsequent death. Thus far, Shannon Price, Gary Coleman's 25-year-old wife, and her family have been rather reticent about providing details. It is hoped they were a bit more forthcoming with authorities -- or have the authorities even become involved?

Randy Kester, Gary Coleman's lawyer, was asked by Shannon Price not to release any details about the actor's circumstances. He told the Associated Press before Gary Coleman died: "Anything they could say would be premature because they don't know the full extent of his condition right now."

And exactly why is that? Why would it be premature to talk about the circumstances of Gary Coleman's fall, his situation, or his condition? If Coleman simply fell and hit his head, which, given the information that has been made public, is all there was to the injury, then why would it be premature to discuss the circumstances of his death? Perhaps it was a fall in the bathroom that caused the traumatic head injury? A little embarrassing but not so much as to preclude a public statement. Or maybe he hit his head during a seizure, which he has been known to have. There is nothing inflammatory or embarrassing about that. Or could there have been something more going on that the family doesn't want disclosed? Could something have occurred that led to the head injury that caused Gary Coleman's intracranial hemorrhage and his subsequent death? Is that why nobody is talking about the accident?

In short, could something have occurred that would make someone responsible -- at least negligently so -- in the death of Gary Coleman? Or could someone be almost directly responsible? Could someone have pushed him, causing him to hit his head? Could there have been a fight where he was pushed, hit, shoved, made to lose his balance? Or could the head injury have been caused by a direct blow to the head not caused by a fall but a blunt (or not so blunt) object?

Could it be that a statement made by any one of the family members or just a particular member could have resulted in a legal issue later, such as Gary Coleman's contradiction of the way his head injury was incurred? Could more details about the head injury, given the fact that Gary Coleman later died from a brain hemorrhage believed to have been caused by traumatic injury, have placed someone in legal jeopardy?

Could those details still place someone in a bind?

And what about the swiftness with which Gary Coleman's life support was suspended? TMZ reported that Shannon Price made the decision early Friday morning. She did so just hours after the "Diff'rent Strokes" star went into a comatose state. Coleman died at 12:05 p.m. MST. Was there a reason why Shannon Price made such a quick decision, such as a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order?

These questions and more are going to be asked in the coming days because of the family's reticence in the matter.

So what has the family actually said about Coleman's death?

Thus far, they have issued two short statements. The first, on Thursday, while Gary Coleman was still alive, they issued the following via KUTV in Salt Lake City:

"Gary was taken to the hospital with a serious medical problem yesterday, we are asking for everyone's prayers at this time. We hope those prayers are answered and that Gary will be able to recover and return home soon."

At a press gathering on the day of Coleman's death, the family, in the name of Shannon Price, issued a second short statement:

"We are very grateful for all of the wonderful support everyone has extended to Gary's family. Thousands of emails have poured into the hospital. This has been so comforting to the family to know how beloved he still is."

Neither statement says anything of value. There are no details about the death. There need to be. And this is why...

Gary Coleman and Shannon Price were married in July 2007. Within months police had been called to their home on numerous occasions regarding domestic disputes and disturbances. Talk began of divorce. In July 2009 police arrested Shannon Price for domestic violence, a charge reciprocated against Gary Coleman in January 2010.

Although a history of domestic violence does not necessarily mean that anything untoward happened on the day of Gary Coleman's death, simply allowing Shannon Price and her family to say that Gary Coleman fell without the circumstances surrounding that fall being made known at least to authorities is bordering on negligence. There should at least be some form of investigation. That is, if one isn't already ongoing...

Because the only detail known about Gary Coleman's head injury is that he fell. That detail came from Shannon Price's brother, Shawn, when he spoke to TMZ Thursday.

So how did he fall? What caused him to fall? What was it that he hit his head against? The ground? The floor? A table? A pavement stone? Was it due to a seizure?

And why isn't anyone talking? Of course, if the family has already spoken with authorities on the matter and they see no reason to investigate, or have already investigated and find no reason to suspect anything criminal (even negligently so), then the details surrounding the manner and cause of Gary Coleman's death may never be known to the public. And rightly so...

And if that happens to be the case, then right to privacy prevails. But if it does not, and there is any reason to believe that something may have occurred in Gary Coleman's Santaquin home that in any way contributed to his death, either via physical violence or some indirect means, then a full investigation should be made.

People get suspicious when high-profile individuals who usually do not have a problem airing their dirty laundry in public suddenly begin to keep their dirty laundry behind closed doors. It must be remembered that, besides Gary Coleman and Shannon Price's public arrest records of domestic violence, the two also aired their grievances against each other on "Divorce Court" in 2008. Being extremely close-mouthed about Gary Coleman's fall will result in people getting suspicious. Suspicions lead to investigations. Better to simply be forthcoming if nothing criminal or negligent occurred.Because, in the end, silence with regard to celebrity is not golden. Too many will want to know and pry. And no doubt there will be some who will state that it is nobody's business but the family's. In that they are only correct if the circumstances surrounding the "Diff'rent Strokes" actor's death suggest such. Anything that points to foul play obviates the family's right to the privacy shield.

Besides, everyone knows that nobody dies a natural death in Hollywood. Even if that little bit of Hollywood is in Santaquin, Utah...

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Sources:

RadarOnline.com
TMZ.com
Associated Press via Popeater.com
Connect2Utah.com