😲💣 “I’ve Kept This Hidden for Decades!” — Bern Nadette Stanis Finally Spills Her Most Shocking Secrets and Fans Can’t Handle It

In the vibrant, soulful world of 1970s television, Bernadette Stanis carved a groundbreaking path as Thelma Evans on CBS’s Good Times, becoming the first African-American teenage girl to light up a sitcom.

From 1974 to 1979, her sassy yet relatable portrayal captivated millions, inspiring young Black girls to chase their dreams. But behind the iconic role lies a treasure trove of secrets—beauty pageants, multiple marriages, and a fierce fight against Alzheimer’s—that reveal a woman far more complex than her on-screen persona.

With a career spanning TV, film, authorship, and art, Stanis is no one-hit wonder. Buckle up, Good Times fans, as we spill the tea on Bernadette Stanis’ untold story, from Brooklyn’s Brownsville to her crusade for a cause that hits close to home.

Born on December 22, 1953, in Brooklyn’s gritty Brownsville neighborhood, Stanis was one of five children raised by Gregory and Eula Stanis. At age five, her grandmother sparked her performance journey with tap dancing lessons, setting the stage for a lifelong love of the spotlight.

A star student at Erasmus Hall High School, she shone in the play The Three Faces of Eve and graduated with honors, earning a spot at the prestigious Juilliard School, where she honed her craft with a BA in Drama.

But it was her early 20s beauty pageant win as Miss Brooklyn, followed by a first runner-up title in the Miss New York State pageant, that caught a CBS director’s eye. “Playing Thelma was my job, not my stardom!” Stanis once quipped, reflecting on how that audition launched her into Good Times fame, gracing the cover of Jet magazine in August 1975 at the peak of her glow.

Stanis’ personal life, however, reads like a soap opera with more twists than a primetime drama. Married four times, she first tied the knot with high school sweetheart Thomas Spotleroy from 1974 to 1978.

Next came nightclub owner Darnell Johnson in 1979, followed by mechanical engineer Terence Redd in 1981, with whom she welcomed daughter Dior Ravel in 1982. After their divorce, Stanis found lasting love with Kevin Fontana, her current husband, and mothered a second daughter, Brittany Rose. Keeping her romance with Fontana under wraps, Stanis has dodged the tabloid vultures, proving she’s as private as she is poised.

As Thelma, Stanis wasn’t just a TV star; she was a role model who shattered racial barriers, giving young girls of all backgrounds a hero to emulate. Her career didn’t stop with Good Times.

The 1980s and ‘90s saw her pop up on The Love Boat as Jane Reeves, What’s Happening Now as Marcy, The Cosby Show as Carolyn Thompson, and The Wayans Bros. as Thelma.

She even played herself on Girlfriends in 2003 and embraced comedy as Bernadette on Black Jesus in 2015. Films like Hidden Blessings (2000), Land of the Free (2004), and 36 Hour Layover (2015) showcased her versatility, while commercials for AT&T, Nationwide Insurance, and TV One kept her in the public eye. Who knew Thelma could hustle so hard?

But Stanis’ true legacy lies in her fight against Alzheimer’s, a cause that cuts deep. After her mother, Eula, was diagnosed, Stanis watched helplessly as the disease stole her mother’s recognition of her own daughter, even while watching Good Times reruns.

“I’m fighting Alzheimer’s to honor my mother’s memory!” Stanis declared, founding RememberingTheGoodTimes.org after Eula’s 2011 passing. As the national spokesperson for Alzheimer’s, she’s raised awareness about its disproportionate impact on African-American women, the sixth leading cause of death in the community.

Through health seminars, Stanis educates caregivers and advocates for research, turning personal tragedy into a mission to slow, and one day stop, this cruel disease.

Beyond acting and advocacy, Stanis is a creative powerhouse. A talented author, she’s penned four books: Situations 101: Finances, The Last Night, For Men Only, and Situations 101: Relationships. For Men Only is a poetic tribute to the men who shaped her life, while The Last Night chronicles her caregiving journey for her parents.

Her painting skills are equally impressive, with vibrant artwork displayed on her website, thelmaofgoodtimes.com. From TV icon to artist, Stanis proves she’s got more talents than Thelma had dance moves.

Stanis’ journey isn’t without its shade. Some whisper she leaned too hard into Thelma’s wholesome image, sidestepping edgier roles that could’ve stretched her range.

Others speculate her private life—four marriages, really?—hid more drama than she lets on. But let’s be real: in an industry that chews up talent, Stanis has thrived for decades, balancing fame, family, and philanthropy with a grace that’d make Thelma proud.

From Brooklyn’s streets to Juilliard’s stage, from Good Times

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