In 2003, Priscilla Barnes married actor and producer Ted Monte. Known for his work in independent thrillers and science fiction, Monte has built a steady career in both film and television. The couple has occasionally worked together but has largely kept a low profile outside the Hollywood limelight.
Priscilla Barnes, once a familiar face in living rooms across America thanks to her role as Terri Alden on Three’s Company, had a rare moment in the spotlight this week. Barnes was photographed during a casual outing in Los Angeles.
Now 70, the actress was seen dressed comfortably in distressed jeans and a vibrant magenta T-shirt as she returned from a grocery run.
Her long blonde hair flowed freely, nearly disguising the sitcom star viewers remember from the early 1980s. Barnes found fame during the final seasons of Three’s Company, stepping in from 1981 to 1984 as nurse Terri Alden alongside John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt. She replaced Suzanne Somers, who had famously left the series, and brought her own comedic charm to the dynamic trio.
Beyond her sitcom success, Priscilla Barnes also had a stint as a Bond girl in License to Kill and worked with major names like Sean Penn, Kevin Smith, and Lawrence Kasdan throughout the 1990s. Later, she carved out a niche in horror and earned renewed attention for her role on Jane the Virgin.
Priscilla Barnes attends red carpet fundraiser honoring John Ritter
Priscilla Barnes and Joyce DeWitt reunited on the red carpet in May 2024 for An Evening From the Heart LA, a fundraising event for the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health.
The evening brought together the family and former co-stars of John Ritter, including his son Tyler Ritter.
Barnes and DeWitt, who co-starred on Three’s Company during its final seasons, posed for photos with Tyler at the event, which aimed to increase awareness of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection through advocacy and research.
John Ritter died in September 2003 at the age of 54 after feeling sick on the set of 8 Simple Rules, where he was filming a scene. Initially believed to be suffering a heart attack, Ritter was later found to have had an aortic dissection. The condition, which involves blood forcing its way between layers of the aorta, often goes misdiagnosed and treated.
His unexpected death led to the implementation of “Ritter’s Rules,” which serves as guidelines for identifying the symptoms and risk factors of aortic dissection. Reflecting on her late co-star, Priscilla Barnes told People, “John was a goofball.”
