Brenda Benet was a popular American actress who starred in several television shows and movies in the 1960s and 1970s. She is best known for her role as Lee Dumonde, a scheming villainess who broke up a fan-favorite couple on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. However, behind her glamorous image, Benet had a troubled personal life that ended in a shocking suicide. What was the cause of death of Brenda Benet and what led her to take her own life?
Early Life and Career
Brenda Benet was born Brenda Ann Nelson on August 14, 1945, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. She was a talented performer from a young age, studying ballet, piano, flute, and violin. She also spoke five languages fluently, including Greek, Italian, and French. She attended UCLA and majored in languages before pursuing an acting career.
Benet made her debut in 1964 on the show The Young Marrieds. She soon became a sought-after actress for various roles in primetime television, appearing on shows like I Dream of Jeannie, McHale’s Navy, Daniel Boone, Mannix, My Three Sons, Hogan’s Heroes, Love, American Style, Wonder Woman, and The Love Boat. She also had a major role in the feature film Walking Tall (1973), where she played a kind-hearted prostitute.
Personal Life and Tragedy
Benet’s first marriage was to actor Paul Petersen, who starred on The Donna Reed Show. They tied the knot in 1967 but divorced in 1970 after Benet left Petersen for another actor, Bill Bixby. Bixby was the star of The Courtship of Eddie’s Father and later The Incredible Hulk. Benet and Bixby married in 1971 and had a son, Christopher Sean, in 1974.
However, their marriage was not happy and they separated in 1979. Benet then became romantically involved with Tammy Bruce, a future pundit and radio host. Benet also landed the role of Lee Dumonde on Days of Our Lives in 1979, which made her very unpopular with fans who hated her character for interfering with the marriage of Doug and Julie, one of the show’s most beloved couples.
Benet’s life took a tragic turn in March 1981 when her six-year-old son Christopher died unexpectedly while they were on a ski trip at Mammoth Lakes. Christopher suffered from acute epiglottitis, a severe inflammation of the throat that can block the airway. He went into a coma and cardiac arrest after doctors performed a tracheotomy to save him.
Benet was devastated by her son’s death and sank into a deep depression. She reportedly attempted suicide by overdosing on pills shortly after his funeral.
Suicide
On April 7, 1982, almost a year after her son’s death, Benet committed suicide by shooting herself in the head with a .38-caliber revolver at her home in Los Angeles. She was 36 years old. Police had to break down the bathroom door to find her body.
Benet’s death shocked her friends and colleagues who remembered her as a warm and caring person. Her role on Days of Our Lives was written out as Lee died from cancer shortly after Benet’s death.
Brenda Benet’s cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. She was a talented actress who had a successful career but also faced many personal challenges and tragedies that overwhelmed her. Her story is one of the most tragic ones in Hollywood history.
