“Family Ties” made Tina Yothers one of television’s most recognizable young stars during the 1980s.
Yothers played Jennifer Keaton, the third child of Steven and Elyse Keaton, on the hit NBC sitcom. Viewers watched Jennifer grow from an elementary school student into a teenager over the show’s seven seasons.
The actress shared the screen with Michael J. Fox, Meredith Baxter, Michael Gross and Justine Bateman on the series, which ran from 1982 to 1989. Courteney Cox also had a recurring role on the show before becoming a star on “Friends.”
While some of her co-stars continued acting for decades, Yothers eventually chose a different path. She stepped away from acting, focused on music and family, and made occasional reality television appearances.
‘Family Ties’ Star Tina Yothers Made a Surprising Career Change
Yothers continued acting for several years after “Family Ties” ended.
Her credits included the TV movies “Laker Girls” and “A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester.” However, she stopped acting after 2000 and turned more of her attention to music.
Yothers had already explored a solo music career during her years on “Family Ties.” In the late 1990s, she formed the band Jaded with her brother, Cory Yothers.
The group released the album “Confessions” in 2000 and continued performing during the 2000s.
Yothers also built a family away from the spotlight. She married Robert Kaiser in 2002, and the couple welcomed a daughter and a son. Yothers also became stepmother to Kaiser’s two children from a previous relationship.
Although she left acting behind, Yothers did not disappear from television.
Yothers Returned to TV in a Very Different Way
Yothers moved into reality television after her acting career ended.
She appeared on “The Test” and “Weakest Link” in 2001 before joining “Celebrity Fit Club” between 2006 and 2008.
In 2012, Yothers appeared on “Celebrity Wife Swap.” One year later, she received a makeover on TLC’s “What Not to Wear.”
The former child star told hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly that growing up on a television set had not helped her develop her own personal style.
“I spent my life, my childhood on television with the stylist and the wardrobe department. I just never grabbed on to any particular look,” Yothers said, according to HuffPost.
London and Kelly helped Yothers move away from the dark colors and baggy clothes she had been wearing and find a new look.
After “What Not to Wear,” Yothers largely stepped away from major television appearances. However, she occasionally returned for interviews on shows including “Today” and “Entertainment Tonight.”
In 2022, Yothers appeared on “Daily Beast Live” to look back at the 1980s. During the conversation, she revealed she was working on a book.
No additional details about the project have been announced.
Tina Yothers Reunited With Michael J. Fox Years After ‘Family Ties’
GettyYothers has also maintained a connection with at least one of her most famous former co-stars.
In 2023, she reunited with Fox at A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s in New York City.
The former TV siblings attended the event at Casa Cipriani more than three decades after “Family Ties” ended.
Fox played Alex P. Keaton, Jennifer’s ambitious older brother, in the role that helped turn him into one of the biggest stars of the 1980s. The series centered on former hippies Steven and Elyse as they raised children whose views often differed from their own during the Reagan era.
