Former main stars of a beloved hit series are now middle-aged women. They each experienced life-changing circumstances since appearing on the show and for one of them, it took ten years to overcome the loss of a significant other.
“Desperate Housewives” is a television show that ran for eight seasons from 2004 until 2012. The series follows a close-knit group of housewives who reside on Wisteria Lane.
Their lives appear perfect from the outside, yet they all have hidden secrets, including crimes, domestic issues, and forbidden romances. These are gradually unraveled following the suicide of a neighbor.
The show won a People’s Choice Award in 2005 for Favorite New Television Drama and a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series in 2006.
Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp
Marcia Cross always aspired to be an actress, graduating from the Juilliard School in New York. Her career began in 1984 with “The Edge of Night,” and it took off when she was cast in “One Life to Live” (1968) and “Another World” (1964).
Her life has been marked by personal challenges since then. She lost her longtime companion and fiancé, Richard Jordan, to a brain tumor in 1993. “It took me a decade to recover,” the TV star admitted about the death of the stage and screen actor.
However, Cross found love again with stockbroker Tom Mahoney, whom she wed in June 2006. The lovebirds were first spotted together in March 2005 during a weekend ski trip in Deer Valley, Utah.
She and Mahoney, whom she credited for her beauty, got engaged in August of that year. The actress shared she knew her future spouse was “a keeper” when he played word games with her the night before the Emmy nominations were announced.
She was eventually nominated for the first time and the following day, Mahoney told her he did it so that she would not be nervous. “It was very sweet, Cross gushed. They later welcomed fraternal twin daughters Eden and Savannah in February 2007.
However, the couple faced an obstacle when Mahoney was diagnosed with cancer three years later. He underwent treatment and thankfully, it went into remission. But that was not the last of their worries. In a routine check-up, Cross was diagnosed with anal cancer.
She underwent radiation and chemotherapy, leaning on friends for support. In September 2018, she shared her hair loss journey on social media. “So grateful and happy to be alive but sad that my hair fell out and is about 1 inch long now and looks cra cra,” she wrote.
Desperate Housewives’ Marcia Cross is opening up about surviving cancer: “So grateful and happy to be alive but sad that my hair fell out and is about 1 inch long now and looks cra cra.” https://t.co/nry97r0IqC pic.twitter.com/EKx8JPR18Z
— E! News (@enews) September 27, 2018
The red-haired, 62, is now doing well. “I’m doing great. I feel back to normal although it’s a new normal. I don’t think I’ll ever take it for granted. I’m so grateful,” she expressed in an interview.
As for her looks, she still maintains her signature red locks. In an image from 2004, Cross had vibrant red hair, smooth skin, and a youthful complexion. Meanwhile, in the next photo from 2023, her red hair is the same, but she shows more pronounced wrinkles and a slightly fuller face.
Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo
Felicity Huffman, 61, is one of the main cast members in “Desperate Housewives,” who played Lynette Scavo. She was 42 years old when she first starred on the show. The producer is also known for starring in “Sports Night” (1998) and “Transamerica” (2005).
Felicity Huffman, 61, is one of the main cast members in “Desperate Housewives,” who played Lynette Scavo. She was 42 years old when she first starred on the show. The producer is also known for starring in “Sports Night” (1998) and “Transamerica” (2005).
Despite her Hollywood success, including winning Golden Globe and Emmy Awards, her life took an unexpected turn when she was embroiled in a nationwide college admissions scandal in 2019.
Huffman was among dozens of prominent figures charged by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office on March 12, 2019, for bribing a consultant on college entrance exams.
Huffman was arrested on March 12, 2019, charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, and was released on $250,000 bail.
She pleaded guilty on May 13, 2019, and was sentenced to 14 days in jail, a $30,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service. Huffman reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, on October 15, 2019, and was released two days early due to a weekend release date.
The star’s daughter was unaware of her actions. “It felt like I had to give my daughter a chance at a future,” Huffman recalled in a 2023 interview. “And so it was sort of like my daughter’s future, which meant I had to break the law.”
A college-admission consultant Rick Singer was the middleman in the scandal, receiving millions of dollars to help inflate test scores and bribe school officials.
12
