“Uncovering the Dark Connection: Did Howard Stern’s Influence Lead to Dana Plato’s Tragic Fate?”
Then, on May 7, 1999, Plato gave what proved to be her final interview on The Howard Stern Show. Ever the provocateur, Stern did not shy away from making jibes at Plato’s expense and quizzing her on the more sensitive aspects of her personal life, whilst listeners who phoned in bluntly expressed scepticism over Plato’s claims to have been sober for a decade.
Pressured by both Stern and the listeners to give proof of her sobriety, Plato angrily offered to take a drugs test on the air. She consented to having a piece of her hair cut for testing, although Stern said later that the test never took place. The radio host told the New York Post, â[after the interview] she said, âI want my hair back.â Thatâs when I knew she was lying. Thatâs when I knew she must have been on drugs… we still have the hair. Obviously we don’t have to test it now.”
The next day, Plato and her manager/fiancé Robert Menchaca went to his mother’s house in Oklahoma. She died in her sleep that night, after overdosing on a mixture of prescription medication including Valium and the painkiller Loritrab. When the news was first announced, a police spokesperson declared, “The death appears to be an accidental overdose. We don’t suspect suicide.”
However, on further investigation it was ruled that Plato must have knowingly overdosed with the intention of ending her own life. In the immediate aftermath, many accused Stern of pushing her over the edge. Her Diff’rent Strokes co-star Todd Bridges remarked, âI thought something was wrong…I was hoping I was wrong…You could see it on Danaâs face that she was hurting and she needed a lot of help.â
