Among the many iconic shows that filled the television landscape in the mid-90s, Party of Five stood out as something special.
The poignant series focused on the lives of the five Salinger children, who were picking up the pieces after tragically losing both of their parents in a drunk driving accident.
The San Francisco-set series – aired on the Fox network between September 1994 and May 2000, racking up 142 episodes during its six seasons – introduced America to a fresh-faced cast of actors.
The series made breakout stars of its principal cast – Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert and Jennifer Love Hewitt – but drama would unfold offscreen for the stars.
It also garnered a Primetime Emmy nomination in 1996 and continues to boast an army of devoted fans who keep the show’s legacy alive on platforms such as Facebook and Reddit.
On the series, Fox played the eldest sibling Charlie, a 24-year-old man struggling with his newfound responsibilities as the eldest in the family,.
Party of Five – starring (L-R) Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert, Matthew Fox, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Scott Wolf – was one of the most celebrated shows of the 90s, but the lives of the future stars would not be all smooth sailing in the decades ahead
The cast of the popular TV drama was pictured in 1997
Wolf played Bailey, a 16-year-old who matured fast following the death of his parents, but picked up some bad habits in the process.
Campbell played Julia, Chabert played Claudia and Hewitt joined the cast in the show’s second season to play the role of Bailey’s girlfriend Sarah Reeves.
In the three decades-plus since the show initially aired, members of the cast have shock personal and professional difficulties – Daily Mail looks back on the biggest scandals to rock the actors…
Scott Wolf
Scott Wolf, 57, has made headlines as of late amid his contentious split with his wife of 21 years, life coach Kelley Wolf, 48. Pictured in LA in May
Wolf played Bailey while Hewitt played his girlfriend Sarah Reeves, beginning in 1995
Scott Wolf, 57, has been in the headlines as of late amid his messy divorce with his wife of 21 years, life coach Kelley Wolf, 48.
The split has been a contentious one, with multiple 911 calls being placed amid conflict between the former pair, and leading police to show up to the Utah home they formerly shared on multiple occasions.
Kelley has also made headlines frequently documenting her post-split ongoings on social media amid a series of erratic incidents, even delving into sensitive financial issues.
The Boston-born actor on June 10 released a statement declaring he and his spouse of more than two decades had parted ways.
‘After 21 years of marriage, I have made the most difficult decision of my life, and filed for divorce from my wife Kelley,’ Scott said in a statement. ‘Our children have always been, and continue to be, the loves of our lives and our every priority, so I kindly ask for privacy at this time as we help guide them through this new chapter.’
The estranged couple are parents to children, Jackson, 16, Miller, 12, and Lucy, 11, with the eldest child speaking out publicly amid the public divorce.
In a request for a restraining order against Kelley, Scott said she had ‘engaged in an escalating pattern of behavior that poses a substantial threat of immediate and irreparable harm to [the former couple’s] minor children.’
Aside from the split, Wolf has had other drama in the past few months, as he was involved in an uncomfortable legal situation this past May 11, when he was pulled over in his 2009 Audi driving as fast as 128 miles, according to a police report.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt created plenty of buzz when she walked the red carpet earlier this month
Hewitt said efforts ‘to be a good actor’ were upended by the public’s fascination with her appearance, leading her to try ‘outact the conversation around my body.’ Pictured in 2000
Jennifer Love Hewitt has enjoyed a successful career, using her role on Party of Five as a springboard into prominent roles in films like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Can’t Hardly Wait and Heartbreakers.
The 46-year-old actress has an impressive TV resume post-Party of Five, having played the role of Melinda Gordon on the show Ghost Whisperer from 2005 until 2010, and headlining shows such as The Client List, Criminal Minds and 9-1-1.
The actress recently reprised her role of Julie James in the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, garnering much buzz when she stepped out on the red carpet.
But all that glittered wasn’t gold for the actress, who admitted that she dealt with serious body positivity issues decades back amid massive scrutiny on her physique.
Speaking with Vulture earlier this month, the actress said that when she watched the documentary Framing Britney Spears, she began to relate the pop singer’s experiences to her own – which moved her to tears.
‘When I started watching it, I was like, “Oh, they talked to me like that. Oh,” Hewitt said. ‘I started crying for her. And then I realized I was crying for me.’
Hewitt said that her efforts ‘to be a good actor’ were upended by the public’s fascination with her figure, leading her to try ‘outact the conversation around my body.’
Hewitt said that a 2007 story scrutinizing her physique (after she was seen in a bikini in Hawaii) further upset her – ‘for all the girls out there that are struggling with their body image.’
Said Hewitt: ‘A size 2 is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size 0 doesn’t make you beautiful. To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini – put it on and stay strong.’
Matthew Fox
On the series, Matthew Fox played the eldest sibling Charlie, a 24-year-old man struggling with his newfound responsibilities as the eldest in the family
Like Hewitt, Fox, 59, has had a relatively successful Post-Party of Five run, most notably playing Dr. Jack Shephard on the ABC ht Lost from 2004-2011.
But the actor has run into his share of difficulties with a string of bizarre, transportation-related incidents more than a decade back.
Fox was detained and taken into custody by law enforcement in August of 2011 incident in Cleveland, Ohio.
The actor tried to trespass onto a private party bus and struck a driver named Heather Bormann, according to authorities.
The driver subsequently withdrew a civil lawsuit she filed, while prosecutors withdrew charges in connection with the incident.
Less than a year later, in May of 2012, Fox was arrested in his native Oregon in connection with driving under the influence, which he pleaded no contest to the following month.
