'Father Knows Best' Star Lauren Chapin Dies at 80 — What Was Her Net Worth?

Fans of the 1950s sitcom Father Knows Best are mourning the loss of Lauren Chapin. Lauren played Kitty on the TV show, the youngest child of Jim and Margaret Anderson (played by Robert Young and Jane Wyatt). Her brother, Bud, was played by Billy Gray, and her sister, Betty, was played by Elinor Donahue.

Lauren was only a nine-year-old child when she starred on the show when it premiered in 1954, but life can be hard for child actors once they become adults and acting roles disappear. The popular, wholesome show about the Anderson family ended after six seasons, and Lauren's fans are curious about her life after Father Knows Best. They are also curious about her net worth.

Lauren was born in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 23, 1945. Her net worth is between $1 miliion to $3 million, per Merca 2.0. Lauren began her career when she was just 6, with three episodes of the series Lux Video Theatre, and appeared in the 1954 classic A Star Is Born with Judy Garland, per People. She also had roles in the NBC TV series Fireside Theatre before auditioning for the role of Kitty on Father Knows Best.

She returned to the role for the 1977 reunion movie, Father Knows Best, and the special Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas. Her autobiography, Father Does Know Best: The Lauren Chapin Story, was released in 1989. She continued to act in series such as School Bus Diaries from 2016 through 2017, and Lauren also became a talent manager and launched the career of Party of Five star Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Lauren was also a founding board member of A Minor Consideration, a non-profit organization that protects child actors. She had a hard upbringing and was molested as a child by her father, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lauren also had multiple miscarriages by the time she was 18, and she also suffered from substance abuse. She dropped out of high school at 16, got married, and was divorced by 18.

Another man got her hooked on heroin and turned her into a prostitute. Lauren got sober in 1970 and worked as a minister for a time before becoming a talent manager. She told Revue back in 2017 that children shouldn't become actors, and those who do should be prepared for another career afterward.

"It is very rare that kids that are child actors go on to be adult actors, and so therefore they need to be prepared … to have another career," she said. "I just do not think children should be actors.”

Her son Matthew announced her death from cancer on Facebook on Feb. 24.

"After a long, hard-fought battle over the past 5 years, the time has come," he wrote. "My mother, Lauren Chapin, passed away from her battle with cancer tonight. 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 time."