Surprising Stories from the Set of the Sitcom Alice

Diane Ladd left Alice after its first season in 1977, and for years there were public reports of tension between Ladd and series star Linda Lavin. The departure marked one of the show’s earliest shakeups and fueled long-running speculation about behind-the-scenes friction.

Years later, however, Ladd and Lavin publicly reconciled. Both actresses acknowledged that time had passed and hard feelings had softened. It’s a rare Hollywood footnote: a sitcom split that didn’t stay bitter forever. Even at Mel’s, it seems, some wounds eventually heal.