My ex-husband once told me, “It’s just harmless fun.” That’s what he called his infidelity. But when he ripped the wallpaper off my walls after our divorce, karma decided it was her turn to have some fun — with him.
Do you believe in karma? Like, honestly, I used to think it was just something people said to make themselves feel better after someone hurt them. They’d say things like: “Don’t worry, karma will get them.”
Yeah, right. But let me tell you, karma is real. And in my case? She had a WICKED sense of humor.
A heartbroken woman | Source: Midjourney
Let me set the stage for you. My ex-husband, Dan, and I were married for eight years. Eight long years where I thought we had something solid — a house we worked on together, two beautiful kids, and a life that, while not perfect, felt like ours.
But as it turns out, I was the only one in that marriage who believed in “ours.” And I should’ve seen the red flags.
Because the night I discovered Dan’s infidelity is seared into my memory.
A couple holding hands | Source: Unsplash
Our daughter Emma had been sick with a fever, and I was rummaging through Dan’s drawer for the children’s medicine he always kept there. Instead, I found his phone.
I wasn’t trying to snoop, but a notification that flashed across the screen grabbed my attention: a heart emoji followed by ‘I love you!’
I couldn’t stop myself from opening it and my heart cracked when I found dozens of intimate text exchanges between my husband and a woman named “Jessica.”
A shocked woman holding a phone | Source: Midjourney
“How could you?” I whispered that night, my hands shaking as I confronted him. “Eight years, Dan. Eight years! How could you cheat on me?”
He didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed. “It just happened,’ he said with a shrug, as if we were discussing the weather. “These things happen in marriages. It was just some harmless fun with my secretary, Jessica. It won’t happen again, honey. Never! I’m sorry. Trust me.”
“These things happen? No, Dan. They don’t JUST HAPPEN. You made choices. Every single time.”
An annoyed man shrugging | Source: Midjourney
The first time, I did what so many of us do — I convinced myself it was a mistake and a lapse in judgment. I thought we could fix it. I told myself that forgiveness was the strong thing to do. But the second time? Oh, the second time SHATTERED whatever illusions I had left.
“I thought we could work through this,” I said as I held up the evidence of his second betrayal — red lipstick stain on his collar. The irony? I hated red lipstick and never wore them.
“I thought you meant it when you said ‘never’ again.”
“What do you want me to say?” he asked, his tone almost bored. “That I’m sorry? Would that make you feel better?”
That was the moment something inside me snapped. “No! I want you to pack your bags.”
An angry woman engaged in a heated argument | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t waste a second. I filed for divorce before Dan could even stammer out another pathetic excuse.
The divorce itself was as brutal as you’d imagine.
But here’s the thing: the house wasn’t up for grabs. It was mine, passed down from my grandmother long before Dan entered the picture.
A picturesque house with a breathtaking garden | Source: Midjourney
“This is ridiculous!” Dan had shouted during one of our mediation sessions. “I’ve lived in that house for eight years. I’ve put money into it!”
“And it’s still my grandmother’s house,” I replied calmly, watching him fume. “The deed is in my name, Dan. It always has been.”
Legally, there was no argument. Dan, on the other hand, insisted on splitting everything else 50/50, just as we always had in our marriage. Groceries, vacations, furniture — you name it, he demanded fairness to the penny.
A woman arguing with someone | Source: Midjourney
And then came the moment that broke my heart more than any of his infidelities. We were discussing custody arrangements when Dan looked at our lawyer and without a hint of emotion, said, “She can have full custody. I don’t want the responsibility of raising the kids.”
Our children, Emma and Jack, were in the next room. My precious babies, who deserved so much better than a father who saw them as a burden.
“They’re your children,” I hissed across the table. “How can you just —”
“They’re better off with you anyway,” he cut me off. “You’ve always been the one good at all that nurturing stuff.”
A man staring grimly | Source: Midjourney
After the paperwork was signed, Dan asked for a week to pack his things and leave. He claimed he needed the time to “sort everything out.” To give him the space and to spare the kids from any awkward encounters, I took them to my mom’s for the week.
The night before we left, Emma clutched her favorite stuffed rabbit and asked, “Mommy, why can’t Daddy come with us to Grandma’s?”
I held her close, fighting back tears. How do you explain to a six-year-old what a divorce means, or why her family was breaking apart?
“Sometimes, sweetheart, grown-ups need some time apart to figure things out,” I said.
A sad little girl holding a stuffed rabbit | Source: Midjourney
“But will he miss us?” Jack, my eight-year-old, asked from the doorway.
“Of course he will,” I lied, my heart breaking all over again. “Of course he will.”
I figured it was the least I could do.
When the week was up, I returned home with the kids, ready to start our new chapter. But what I walked into was nothing short of a nightmare.
The wallpaper — the gorgeous floral wallpaper — was GONE.
A startled woman | Source: Midjourney
The living room walls, once covered in beautiful floral paper we’d picked out together, were stripped bare. Jagged patches of drywall peeked through, like the house had been skinned alive. My stomach sank as I followed the destruction trail to the kitchen.
And there he was — Dan— tearing off another strip of wallpaper like a man possessed.
“What the hell are you doing?” I yelled.
He turned around, completely unfazed. “I bought this wallpaper. It’s mine.”
“Dan,” I finally managed. “You’re ripping apart the house your kids live in.”
A man ripping a floral wallpaper | Source: Midjourney
“Mom?” Jack’s voice trembled. “Why is Dad doing that to our walls?”
He burst into tears. “I loved the flowers! They were pretty! Why are you tearing the wallpaper, Daddy?”
I knelt down to their level, trying to shield them from the sight of their father methodically destroying our home. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. We can pick out new wallpaper together. Something even prettier. Would you like that?”
A little boy crying | Source: Pexels
“But why is he taking it?” Emma hiccupped between sobs.
I didn’t have an answer that wouldn’t hurt them even more. I shot Dan a look sharp enough to wither him.
He simply shrugged and said, “I paid for it. And I have all the right to destroy it!”
A man turning around while removing a wallpaper | Source: Midjourney
As Dan continued to rip the walllpaper, I noticed the kids peeking around the corner, their little faces confused and scared. My heart broke for them. I didn’t want this to be the memory they carried of their father in this house.
So I took a deep breath and said, “Fine. Do what you want.” Then I ushered the kids back to the car and left.
When I returned later that evening, it was even worse than I’d expected.
A woman driving a car | Source: Unsplash
Dan had gone full petty. The kitchen was stripped of utensils, the toaster, and even the coffee maker. He’d even taken all the toilet paper from the bathrooms… and practically everything he’d bought with his OWN MONEY.
“You’re UNBELIEVABLE!” I muttered.
It was maddening. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d gotten under my skin.
A man holding a toilet paper roll | Source: Unsplash
A month later, I joined a book club. At first, it was just a way to get out of the house and feel like myself again. But the women there quickly became my support system.
One night, after a couple of glasses of wine, I spilled the wallpaper story. I described every absurd detail, from the stripped walls to the missing toilet paper.
“Wait, he took the toilet paper too?” Cassie, one of the women, choked out between laughs.
“Yes!” I said, laughing despite myself. “I can’t believe I married someone so ridiculous that I don’t even feel like uttering his name.”
A woman laughing | Source: Midjourney
“Girl,” Cassie said, wiping tears from her eyes, “you dodged a bullet. Who does that? A grown man ripping wallpaper off walls? He sounds like an overgrown toddler. Gosh, please don’t reveal his name or we’d start despising every man with that name!”
The whole table erupted into laughter. It was cathartic. It was the first time I’d really laughed about the whole mess.
“You know what the worst part was?” I confided to the group, my wine glass nearly empty. “Trying to explain it to the kids. How do you tell your children their father cares more about wallpaper than their happiness?”
A distressed woman | Source: Midjourney
Betty, another book club member, reached across and squeezed my hand. “Children are resilient. They’ll remember who stayed and who put them first. That’s what matters.”
“I hope so,” I whispered, thinking of Emma’s tears and Jack’s confusion. “God, I hope so.”
Little did I know, karma was just getting started.
Six months passed. Life settled into a new normal. The kids were thriving, and I’d put the chaos of the divorce behind me. Dan barely crossed my mind — until the day he called me out of nowhere.
A man making a phonecall | Source: Midjourney
“Hey,” he said, his tone smug. “I thought you should know — I’m getting married next month. Some women actually want to be with me. And I found a gorgeous bombshell!”
“Congratulations,” I said, keeping my voice even. Then I hung up.
I thought that would be the end of it. But a few weeks later, I was walking downtown, enjoying a rare solo outing, when I spotted Dan across the street. He was holding hands with a woman.
A couple holding hands | Source: Unsplash
At first, I didn’t think much of it. I figured it was his fiancée and kept walking. But then, they crossed the street and walked straight toward me.
As they got closer, my stomach DROPPED. The woman was CASSIE— my friend from the book club.
Her face lit up when she saw me. “Oh my gosh, hey!” she said, tugging Dan toward me. “This is such a small world! I have so much to tell you! I’m engaged! This is my fiancé, his name is…”
I forced a tight smile. “Yeah, DAN! I know.”
A shocked woman standing on the road | Source: Midjourney
Cassie blinked, her smile faltering. “Wait… you know each other?”
Dan looked like he wanted to disappear. His grip on her hand tightened, and his jaw clenched.
“Oh, we go way back,” I said casually.
Cassie’s eyes darted between us, confusion turning to suspicion. “What do you mean, ‘go way back’? How do you know each other? Dan, do you… know her?”
A stunned woman | Source: Midjourney
Dan let out a nervous laugh. “Cassie, it’s not important —”
“Oh, yeah! Not that important. He’s just my ex-husband,” I said bluntly, cutting him off.
Cassie’s face froze, and then realization dawned. “Wait a second,” she said slowly. “That story you told at the book club… the one about the wallpaper? About that freaking guy? Is that… him?”
Her words hung in the air. And Dan’s panicked expression said it all.
A nervous man standing on the street | Source: Midjourney
Cassie turned to him, her eyes narrowing. “Oh my God… that was YOU?”
“Cassie, it’s not what you think —” Dan pleaded.
“It’s exactly what I think,” she snapped. “You ripped wallpaper off the walls of your kids’ home because you bought it? Who does that?”
A furious woman yelling at a man | Source: Midjourney
“It was a long time ago,” Dan stammered. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” Cassie hissed, pulling her hand away. “And what about the lies? The evil ex-wife who took your kids to another country? That she cheated on you? You’re unbelievable, Dan. You liar!”
She turned to me, her expression softening. “I’m so sorry, Nora. I had no idea.”
A heartbroken woman with her eyes downcast | Source: Midjourney
Before I could respond, Cassie whirled back to Dan. “You’re a walking red flag. I can’t believe I almost married you.”
And just like that, she stormed off, leaving Dan standing there, dumbstruck, and staring at the engagement ring she’d just flung at him.
He glanced at me, his face a thundercloud of anger and desperation. I just smiled faintly and walked away. This DAMAGE was more than enough!
A woman walking away | Source: Midjourney
That evening, as I tucked the kids into bed, Jack asked me something that made my heart swell.
“Mom, remember when Dad took all the wallpaper?”
I tensed, waiting for the pain in his voice. Instead, he surprised me.
“I’m glad we got to pick out the new ones together,” he said, smiling. “The dinosaurs in my room are way cooler than those old flowers. Daddy can keep that wallpaper to himself!”
Emma nodded enthusiastically from her bed. “And my butterflies! They’re the prettiest ever!”
A stunning kids’ room with gorgeous wallpaper and stuffed toys | Source: Midjourney
I looked around at our colorful walls, now covered in papers we’d chosen together, as a family of three. Walls that told our new story, not the one Dan had tried to strip away.
“You know what?” I said, pulling them both close. “I think so too.”
That day, I learned an important lesson: sometimes, you don’t need to chase revenge. Just give karma a little time, and it’ll serve justice with a side of poetic irony.
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
Inside Tanya Roberts’ shocking handwritten will
Tanya Roberts was one of the sexiest and funniest actresses of her time, dazzling audiences with her stunning beauty and talent in That ’70s Show and Charlie’s Angels.
Tragically, her unexpected passing was marked by confusion, as her boyfriend mistakenly announced her death , adding a bizarre twist to the loss of this vibrant star.
Before we dive into the bizarre circumstances surrounding Tanya Roberts’ passing, let’s take a moment to celebrate her incredible contributions to the screen.
In a world where her legacy seems somewhat overlooked today, a closer look at her impressive career reveals just how unforgettable she truly was. And I’m sure she created cherished memories for many of you reading this.
Running away from home
Born Victoria Leigh Blum in 1949, Tanya Roberts grew up in the gritty Bronx of New York City. The little girl with ice-blue eyes lived in a poor old house with her mother and big sisters. Despite her modest life, Roberts had big dreams of wearing beautiful clothes, riding horses, living in a mansion, and shopping in limousines. Most of all, she wanted to be a star in Hollywood.
At just 15 years old, she took a bold step and ran away to chase her dreams. This was after her family had moved to Toronto, where a tragic event would lead Roberts to distance herself from them. One day, shortly after her father tragically passed away, Tanya felt the walls closing in on her.
In that moment, she decided to leave home. After a heated argument with her mother, Roberts packed her bags and moved to a place in the Village, a neighborhood in Toronto. She supported herself by selling dance lessons to ”old guys”, who lusted after her body.
It wasn’t long before she met another boy, Colin, who had also dropped out of school. She fell head over heels for him.
“It just happened. A stupid, spontaneous thing. Colin was two years older than me, a Canadian, a dropout, doing nothing. It was a love affair that turned into hatred. We never were friends. We didn’t get along at all. But I loved him, you know. I was butterflies. I’d look at him and gasp, ‘Oh my God!’ I responded to the palpitations of the heart.”
Married in secret
The couple was together for seven months and married in secret. They moved to New York together, but then Colin’s mother intervened, annulling the marriage. Roberts and Colin were far too young and hadn’t received their parents’ consent.
Roberts never told her mother about the marriage; she didn’t want to shock her. Soon after, the relationship with Colin ended, but another man entered Roberts’s life— one who would change her whole life.
As Tanya Roberts pursued her acting dreams in New York, she met Barry Roberts while waiting in line for a movie. He was a truck driver earning $30 a week, and he quickly became her next great love.
It was actually Tanya who proposed to Barry in a subway station, and they quickly tied the knot in 1973. Her husband had originally set his sights on becoming a psychologist but soon dropped out of his studies to write scripts for various TV networks.
The couple moved to Hollywood, determined to lead as normal a life as possible.
”You know you’ve got the right guy when you can sit at home with him Saturday night, just you and him and pizza,” Tanya shared in 1980.
For most of their lives, Tanya and Barry lived peacefully and happily, tucked away in the serene and private surroundings of their secluded home in the Hollywood Hills.
“Living here is like being in the country, but civilization isn’t far away when I need it,” Tanya exclusively shared with Closer Weekly in 2015. “It’s the house I’d always dreamed of.”
Spell on Charlie’s Angels
Tanya Roberts’ upbringing on the streets of Bronx served her well when she landed the role of the streetwise Julie Roberts in Charlie’s Angels. Before that, she had already made a name for herself as a model in television ads and took on serious roles in off-Broadway productions like Picnic and Antigone.
However, it was in the summer of 1980 that the world truly took notice of her.
Tanya was chosen from over 2,000 candidates to replace Shelley Hack in the beloved detective series Charlie’s Angels, which was struggling to attract viewers.
The producers hoped that the vibrant 26-year-old would inject new life into the show alongside her co-stars, Jaclyn Smith, the last original ‘Angel,’ and Cheryl Ladd. With her charisma and talent, Tanya was determined to help turn the series around.
”I think there’s a lot of enthusiasm on the set. We are a real team. It’s very important for us to get along because it shows in our work. I think it’s hard do continually make a classy show every week for five years with three girls. It’s not Shakespeare but I think the public looks forward to seeing something new every week,” Roberts told The Daily Herald-Tribune in 1981.
Unfortunately, despite her efforts, Roberts — who described herself as a ‘workaholic’— couldn’t revive the series, and Charlie’s Angels was canceled in 1981.
However, her talent and dedication led to new opportunities in her career.
Nominated for Golden Raspberry Award
After Charlie’s Angels, Robert’s starred in a string of films that gained cult status, including The Beastmaster (1982), Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (1984), Body Slam (1987), and Night Eyes (1990).
Most people, however, associate her with her iconic roles as Stacey Sutton in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill and as Midge Pinciotti on That ’70s Show, where she captivated audiences from 1998 to 2004.
In A View to a Kill, Tanya Roberts starred alongside Roger Moore, and the film became a massive box office success. However, critics weren’t entirely convinced; in retrospect, Moore himself expressed disappointment, stating that it was his worst Bond film due to its excessive blood and violence.
At 57, the Hollywood legend faced criticism for being too old for the role, and he even quipped about the age gap, revealing that he was mortified to discover he was older than Roberts’ mother. In a December 2007 interview, he humorously remarked, ”I was only about four hundred years too old for the part.”
Tanya, too, faced her share of criticism after her Bond debut. Interestingly, she wasn’t the original choice for the role. Producers had initially hoped to cast Priscilla Presley, but she was tied up with her contract for Dallas. They even considered former Bond girl Barbara Bach before ultimately selecting Tanya Roberts. Despite her efforts, she was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress, although she lost the dubious honor to Linda Blair, who appeared in Night Patrol.
Losing her husband
For the younger generation, many recognize Tanya Roberts from her role as Midge Pinciotti on the beloved sitcom That ’70s Show. She was a cherished presence on the show but had to leave after the third season.
The reason? Her husband, Barry, had become seriously ill, and she wanted to be there for him. Tragically, Barry died at the age of 60 after a long four-and-a-half-year battle with encephalitis, a condition that causes inflammation of the brain tissue, leading to personality changes, seizures, and weakness.
Tanya and Barry stood by each other from their marriage in 1973 until his passing in 2006. The couple never had any children.
Mysterious death
After the heartbreaking loss of her husband Barry in 2006, Tanya Roberts found love again with Lance O’Brien. The two met while working for Tahiti Village, a Las Vegas resort — Tanya as a spokesmodel. They spent 18 years together, seemingly inseparable, but their world took a tragic turn in December 2020.
At 71, Tanya was still vibrant and full of life, known for her daily hikes up the Hollywood Hills. Described as ”healthy as a horse,” there was no indication of any serious health issues. However, just before Christmas, Tanya began experiencing lower intestinal pain and difficulty breathing.
These symptoms surfaced during one of her hikes, and though she initially thought it might be COVID-19. Early the next morning, she collapsed, unable to get up, and was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
Doctors determined Tanya had developed a severe urinary tract infection that had progressed to sepsis. The infection quickly spread to her liver, kidneys, and gallbladder, ultimately leading to multi-organ failure.
Tubes up her nose
“She was talking when I called 911. Next thing I know, she’s in intensive care on oxygen and she’s extremely sick,” O’Brien shared with the Daily Mail.
When O’Brien was finally allowed to see her, Tanya was barely conscious, kept alive by a ventilator. The iconic actress, who had once graced screens as a glamorous star, could only blink in response to her partner’s presence.
”When she saw me and I was there, I saw her eyes open,” he said. “I felt good. I said, ‘Hey, her eyes are opening. Her eyes are opening.’ They told me that’s just a reflex,” O’Brien told Inside Edition.
Sadly, Tanya’s final days were both chaotic and heartbreaking.
O’Brien expressed his frustration with the hospital’s handling of Tanya’s care, stating, “She had tubes up her nose and throat, and they kept calling her Victoria —she hasn’t been called that since she was a teenager. It was so busy, I can’t begin to tell you what an awful, terrible experience it was.”
“I think COVID played a big part in it,” O’Brien added. “If you called the hospital, it sounded like something out of [sitcom] M.A.S.H.”
Cause of death
Tanya’s condition worsened, and on January 3, 2021, she was taken off life support. The beloved star passed away on January 4.
However, the aftermath of her death was even more chaotic. The news of Tanya’s passing was initially announced prematurely by her publicist, leading to confusion.
In a bizarre twist, O’Brien learned she was still alive during a live interview with Inside Edition.
“Now, you’re telling me she’s alive?” O’Brien exclaimed, answering a phone call from the hospital mid-interview. Crying, he added, “The hospital is telling me she is alive. They are calling me from the ICU team.”
Eventually, all the confusion cleared up, and it became evident that Tanya Roberts had indeed passed away. However, the mix-ups didn’t stop there – several sources incorrectly reported her age as 65 at the time of her death. Despite the fact that she was actually 71, some outlets still haven’t corrected this mistake, even three years later.
Her last will
The handwritten note left behind by Tanya Roberts offered a hauntingly intimate and bittersweet glimpse into her final thoughts. According to Fox News, Roberts left her entire estate, valued at over $3 million, to her longtime partner, Lance O’Brien. She signed the note using both her Hollywood name, Tanya Roberts, and her birth name, Victoria Blum.
“I have no reason to live,” Tanya wrote, and she also made it clear that none of her estate would go to her sister, Barbara Leary, or her nephew, Zack Leary.
Instead, Roberts left everything to O’Brien, though the letter suggests their relationship may not have been as loving as it seemed to the public.
”I want to leave my house … and all its belongings to my best friend Lance O’Brien – I also leave my two dogs and my Pension Plan check to Lance O’Brien,” the actress penned, as captured in images obtained by Page Six.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of the note comes when she acknowledged the disconnect in their relationship. ”I know you don’t love me but you have been a true friend & for that I’m [grateful],” she wrote. ”Have a good life & don’t blame this on yourself. I was always [too] sensitive to live in this world.”
Behind the face
Tanya Roberts’ final chapter may have been marked by sorrow and confusion, but it’s important to remember the light she brought into the world.
When you take a moment to look back at old photos of her — whether she’s on set, starring in her iconic roles, or even candid behind-the-scenes shots — a picture emerges of a woman who was not only stunningly beautiful but fiercely independent.
At just 15, she knew exactly what she wanted out of life. Becoming a Charlie’s Angel made her immortal in Hollywood’s eyes, but what really stood out was how she handled fame. While some may have expected her journey through stardom to come with heartbreak, bad roles, or failed marriages, Tanya took a different path.
She remained loyal to her husband, Barry Roberts, staying by his side through illness and even stepping away from her career to care for him. That kind of dedication and strength speaks volumes about the kind of woman she truly was.
Looking back at those early photos and moments reminds us of her grace, resilience, and the lasting impression she left on her fans and loved ones alike!
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