One of the stars of the beloved television series Father Knows Best has died. Lauren Chapin, who played Kathy “Kitten” Anderson on the show, was 80.
Chapin’s son, Matthew Chapin, announced his mother’s death in a Facebook post on February 24. He wrote, “After a long hard fought battle over the past 5 years, the time has come. My mother Lauren Chapin passed away from her battle with cancer tonight.”
He added, “I’m at a complete loss for words right now. Please keep my sister and family in your thoughts and prayers as we go through this incredibly tough tough.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter Chapin starred on Father Knows Best from 1954 to 1960. Over the course of its run, the show aired on both CBS and NBC. The series also ran in syndication for many years. A couple of television specials aired in 1977, as well.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that Chapin landed the role of Kitty in Father Knows Best partly because she looked so much like a daughter of the show’s family patriarch, Robert Young. He had four daughters, and Chapin resembled his daughter Kathy.
The media outlet noted that Chapin’s life was not an easy one. She alleged that her mother was an alcoholic, and that her father molested her. She attempted suicide as a child and shared she had a “manic depressive personality.”
The Hollywood Reporter shared that during an appearance in 1989 on Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee, Chapin opened up about the difficulties she endured. “I didn’t understand how God could let me suffer,” she said.
She explained, “It was very difficult to understand how Kathy Anderson could be loved and protected and Lauren Chapin lived a whole different kind of life.”
After doing Father Knows Best, Chapin sued her mother to gain access to what she had earned while doing the show. She dropped out of high school and married young, getting divorced at the age of 18.
A subsequent marriage ended in an annulment, and Chapin alleged that during another relationship, her partner “turned her into a call girl and on to heroin,” The Hollywood Reporter noted. She lived that life until for seven years, enduring eight miscarriages.
Chapin became sober in 1970. She published a book, Father Does Know Best in 1989.
Fans of Chapin and Father Knows Best shared their condolences on the Facebook post announcing her death.
One fan wrote, “Deepest condolences on the loss of your mother. Sending you strength to get through the days to come. I hope your cherished memories can bring you some peace.”
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24 hours a day through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.