The celebrity lived at a time when the law offered little protection for someone in her position. Feeling unsafe, she eventually brought in a private security guard to watch over her home.

The actress left a lasting mark in the 1980s, thanks in part to her role on the hit TV show “The Fall Guy,” which aired from 1981 to 1986. She brought Jody Banks to life — a fearless stuntwoman who worked alongside a bounty hunter portrayed by Lee Majors.

Her role as Jody catapulted her into the public eye, but it was her unmistakable charm and captivating looks that made her an icon of the era.

The actress’s posters became staples across the country — adorning bar walls, college dorms, locker doors, janitors’ closets, and the garages of young men. They stood toe-to-toe with the famed images of Farrah Fawcett, leaving a bold imprint on pop culture.

Her image may have graced countless walls, but behind the fame, life brought sudden challenges. Not long after “The Fall Guy” was canceled, she was struck by a car while crossing San Vicente Boulevard, just after leaving a market.

The vehicle, moving at approximately 15 to 20 miles per hour, caused significant injuries, including fractures in both legs. The Hollywood star was rushed to Saint John’s Hospital, where, according to a spokesperson, her doctor “performed extensive plastic surgery during the night on her left leg.”

Thankfully, the actress’s condition was listed as stable. Authorities confirmed she wasn’t cited for jaywalking, and the driver faced no charges, as the incident was deemed unavoidable. The physical injuries she sustained eventually healed, but a deeper sense of unease followed her long after the cameras stopped rolling.

When “The Fall Guy” ended, the public figure chose to leave Hollywood behind. On the March 17, 2025 episode of the “Still Here Hollywood” podcast with Steve Kmetko, she shared that the decision came after enduring constant threats that deeply affected her sense of safety.

“I was just getting so many stalkers,” the veteran star revealed, adding that it was “really bad,” with incidents happening “at least two a week.” The danger wasn’t abstract. “I had tons of restraining orders,” she said, recalling one instance when a man jumped over their “gate with a giant buck knife.”

With two young daughters at home, the fear was constant. “In those days, I don’t know if this is true now, but people would fixate. You could be in a soap commercial, and they would fixate on you,” the celebrity explained. The ongoing danger reached a point where everyday life required constant caution and protective measures.

At the time, legal protections were limited. Stalker laws were nearly nonexistent, and the threats remained very real. One individual even sent a box of bullets, while others mailed funeral wreaths taken from cemeteries. The fear didn’t stop at the mailbox.

To feel any sense of security at home, the star kept a bodyguard on the property — admitting she never wanted to return to a dark, empty house. Despite the security measures in place, the threats continued to escalate.

In one alarming encounter, “I had one guy one night cut my screen in my bedroom and got in, and I shot him,” the actress disclosed. The gun was loaded with rock salt. Whether the intruder faced jail time remains unknown.

Even after stepping away from the industry, the stalking persisted for several years. She rarely discusses those experiences, explaining that she does not want to be known as “the lady that was stalked.”

Another reason for walking away from Hollywood was her desire to be more present for her children, who, at the time, “didn’t know much” about the threats their mother had faced.

She shares three daughters — India, Shauna, and Kristina Brittenham — with her second husband, attorney Harry M. Brittenham, whom she wed in 1992. Before that, she was briefly married to Alan Rosenthal from 1985 to 1986.

Though the Hollywood star’s priorities shifted toward family life, she never fully stepped away from her craft. After the series ended, she continued making appearances on both television and in films, including 1990’s “Red Blooded American Girl” and 1997’s “Against the Law.” Years later, she made a return to the screen.

In 2024, she reunited with Lee Majors for a cameo in “The Fall Guy” — a feature film inspired by the show that first brought them into the spotlight. The movie stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Heather Thomas’s return to the spotlight wasn’t limited to the screen — she also made a public appearance at the red carpet premiere of the film.

The event sparked a wave of online reactions concerning her physical appearance, with opinions sharply divided. Some people expressed disappointment, with one writing, “I just wish she had grown old gracefully… you can’t turn back the clocks…[sic].”

“Sad… she destroyed her face,” said one person. Another questioned, “WHY do they all get plastic surgery [sic],” while one user simply noted, “Time is Aggressive [sic].”

However, other people offered warm praise. One admirer wrote, “Heather Thomas is beautiful inside and out. She is 100% the real deal. A defender of good.” Another called her “An excellent woman,” while one other fan gushed, “She’s still gorgeous,” and another echoed, “Beautiful and very cool.”

While reactions to her appearance varied, the 67-year-old’s experiences in the industry run far deeper than public perception. During the “Still Here Hollywood” podcast , she shared how Hollywood often reduced women to their appearance, particularly during the 1980s.

Thomas acknowledged using her image as part of the “business,” calling it “a way I sold things.” Though she felt “happy” with her body and had “worked hard,” she also described the emotional distance it required, saying there was “a certain amount of disassociation.”

In the early days of her career, while still a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), her initial goal was to write and direct. However, she described the environment as “rough” for women.

Acting offered immediate financial success — she was “making so much money” — so she chose what she called “the flow of least resistance” and pursued work in front of the camera instead.

Although acting became the more immediate path, her foundation in storytelling had always been rooted in writing. In an interview once, she shared that her journey began at UCLA’s film school, where she wrote plays, screenplays, and television scripts.

That background eventually led her to pursue novel writing. In an interview from several years ago, Thomas expressed a desire to create something entirely her own, saying she wanted to write “without anyone sticking their fingers in it for awhile.”

The idea for her book “Trophies” emerged from her experience after marrying an influential figure in the entertainment industry. She observed the shift in how people treated her — no longer just a celebrity attending events, but someone viewed as a gatekeeper for charitable access.

“They think you have lists of people that can help their charity,” she said. “Part of it is that you have the money and part of it is that you have the time.”

At a point when she had “about 45 restraining orders out” and her image was everywhere — from toilet seat covers to ashtrays — she stepped away from the spotlight.

With two young daughters and a desire for a quieter life, she chose to focus on writing. Despite stepping back, the pull of acting remained strong. She admitted to missing it deeply, describing how she would “yearn” and “crave” the experience.

During her writing phase, Thomas found success in selling every script she pitched, though she acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the business — many projects, she noted, take years to be made.

In reflecting on earlier chapters of her life, she once addressed a brief period of drug use, describing it as lasting about a year and noting that it was a common experience at the time. She also spoke about the balance between her feminist beliefs and her status as a pin-up figure.

In her view, there was no conflict. As a young woman, she followed industry expectations, but later chose her roles and image on her own terms. The exposure provided financial independence and access to opportunities.

She believed there was nothing shameful about showing one’s body and maintained that embracing her appearance did not compromise her principles.

Thomas’s path through Hollywood was shaped by both opportunity and threat, leading her to make difficult choices to protect herself and her family. Despite working in an era that often reduced women to their appearance, she maintained agency over how she was portrayed and what roles she accepted.

She transitioned from acting to writing, selling every script she submitted, and later published a novel drawn from her own experiences. Even when faced with serious safety concerns, she continued to work, adapting her career to suit her priorities.

The beloved public figure’s decision to step away from the spotlight was deliberate, rooted in protecting her children and reclaiming control over her life.