Lisa Whelchel debuted a new hairdo as she made a big announcement. On Feb. 13, The Facts of Life star posted a video to Instagram to show off a new, shorter shoulder-length style for her blonde hair. Whelchel, 62, went on to explain the reason for her new look.
“I got my hair cut today,” she told fans in the video. ‘I figured something new deserved a new ‘do.”
Whelchel then announced her new Substack titled Throw Out the Bathwater.
“I’m sharing stories I’ve never told before,” she said. “It’s been 18 years of living them, and I’m finally ready to share. My time on Survivor, 30 days in a silent retreat, walking in a camino, four ayahuasca ceremonies, faking in love, falling out of love. You name it, I’m sharing about it
Whelchel directed fans to a link to get her first free story, which drops Feb 19.
Whelchel is best known for her role as Blair Warner on The Facts of Life. The NBCsitcom aired from 1979 to 1988 and co-starred Nancy McKeon, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn, and Charlotte Rae. In 2012, Whelchel competed on Survivor: Philippines, where she tied for second place and won the coveted fan favorite vote. The actress currently hosts MeTV’s Collectors Call.
RELATED: ‘Little House in the Prairie’ Star Had Michael Landon in Stitches During Audition
Lisa Whelchel will address ‘Facts of Life’ reunion drama
For years, fans have been hoping for a Facts of Life reunion, but there was drama surrounding a planned revival—drama that appeared to be pointed at Whelchel.
“We all started to consider it a little bit,” Cohn revealed on Sirius XM’s Jeff Lewis Live in 2024. “We got into talks, and we hired a writer. The four of us got together on a Zoom — this was during COVID — and we had meetings with Norman [Lear] about it.”
Cohn then claimed there was “drama” with one of the co-stars that sabotaged plans for the reboot.
“One of the girls went behind our backs to try to make a separate deal for a spinoff deal just for herself and devastated the rest of us,” she said. “I’m just saying, for a 40-year friendship and sisterhood, there was a tidal wave of emotion around it.”
Cohn described the mystery cast member as a “greedy b—-.” After fans discovered Instagram photos of Cohen, McKeon, and Fields hanging out with Whelchel, many assumed the Blair Warner actress was the troublemaker.
Following her Throw Out the Bathwater announcement, a fan wrote a comment to Whelchel that said, “I would like to know more about the relationship among the Facts of Life cast. I was so disheartened to learn that we may never again see you all together. I am truly a super fan and would love seeing you all together again doing something fun!”
“I plan to write about that,” Whelchel promised in the comment section.
Whelchel previously expressed disappointment that The Facts of Life revival never came to fruition.
“We were all very, very disappointed that it didn’t work,” she told Closer Weekly in April 2025. “We’d been trying to find a way to work together in some capacity for probably the last 10 years. So, when it looked like this was going to happen, we were all really excited. The contracts were signed, and then the writers’ strike happened, the actors’ strike happened, and then, unfortunately, [Charlotte Rae] and Norman Lear passed. After that, it just kind of dissolved.”
“We were all quite disappointed,” Whelchel reiterated.
This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.