Anissa Jones’ Star Burnt Out Too Soon
- May 24
- 3 min read
Anissa Jones was just 18 years old when she died from a drug overdose in 1976. The actress was best known as Buffy in the 1960s TV show, Family Affair, but after the show ended in 1971, she had a hard time adjusting even when she was auditioning for other roles, her character she was known for seemed to follow her around. Whenever people addressed her as Buffy, she politely told them to call her Anissa. She auditioned for the role of Reagan in The Exorcist, but the director couldn’t imagine Buffy being possessed by a demon so she didn't get the part.
When her onscreen uncle, Brian Keith started The Brian Keith Show, Anissa turned down a role as well as a chance to audition for the role of Iris “Easy” Steensma in Taxi Driver. She decided to move on from the film and TV industry and start making friends her own age, but those friends were not a good influence on her. As time went on, Anissa started to use drugs and began to shoplift.
According to author, Geoffrey Mark, “Anissa was in trouble: petty shoplifting, taking jobs and then quitting them, bad sleeping patterns, bad eating patterns, incredible mood swings.”
She also had a tough time at home. Her parents were divorced and there was a custody battle regarding her and her brother. Her father won custody. She ended up living with a friend after her father’s death.
By the time Anissa turned 18, she was able to get the money she earned from Family Affair. She only had about $200,000 and within a few short months, it was almost all gone. Her 18th birthday was unfortunately her last birthday.
In August of 1976, Anissa had attended a party at a friend’s house. The next day, Anissa was found dead from a drug overdose. There was a combination of drugs in her system which included, cocaine, PCP, quaaludes, and seconal. The drug, seconal was found at the scene and it was illegally prescribed by a doctor. The doctor was eventually arrested and a lawsuit followed.
According to the New York Times, the doctor was charged with 11 felony counts of illegally prescribing powerful drugs, but the jury found the doctor to be 30% responsible and Anissa to be 70% responsible in her own death. In December of 1976. The doctor, himself passed away before he was able to stand trial.
Kathy Garver said that she thinks that Anissa died from an overdose and not suicide.“The coroner said it was one of the most massive overdoses he’d ever recorded. It was such a tragedy that this amazing little girl, such a bright light, was extinguished at such a young age. She was a darling little girl and a lovely teenager, and I don’t think she would have taken her own life. During the circumstances and how many drugs she took, and she was little — that was just too much for her little body to handle.”
In a weird twist of fate, Annisa’s brother passed away from a drug overdose as well in 1984.
Anissa Jones was a star gone too soon. It's sad to see such a talent go out before their time, but it's hard for a lot of childhood stars to adjust to adulthood. It's never easy to watch someone go from having all the success in the world to struggling with mental health and addiction. I wish Anissa got the help she needed. She would have been able to use her experience as a child star to help other child stars. She would have understood the challenges and the struggles, but sometimes it gets too much and people don’t know how or when to stop.
I hope Anissa is at peace and is able to leave the life she always wanted.
The Websites I Used/Resources: https://allthatsinteresting.com/anissa-jones
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