Dana Plato Howard Stern interview clip goes viral amid Sirius XM cancellation

As news of Howard Stern's Sirius XM show reportedly being cancelled continues to make headlines, an old video of him interviewing Dana Plato has gone viral.

For the unversed, on Tuesday, August 4, 2025, The Sun, citing an "insider," reported that Stren's contract is set to end. However, the broadcasting network was allegedly not going to make a decent offer, as his show was no longer "worth the investment." It is worth noting that neither Stern nor Sirius XM has confirmed the rumors.

In light of the development, netizens, including X user DigitalArtisan (@floridabadboy69), brought up Dana Plato's appearance on the media personality's eponymous show, writing:

"Anyone else remember when Dana Plato was harassed on Howard Stern and then wound up not being alive the next day?"

Anyone else remember when Dana Plato was harassed on Howard Stern and then wound up not being alive the next day? pic.twitter.com/awIXxJ7rzw

— DigitalArtisan (@floridabadboy69) October 7, 2024

However, others, like user Blake Dobyns (@BlakeDobyns), defended Stern, writing:

"If you sincerely believe Stern was responsible for Dana Plato OD-ing on the same drug cocktail that her friends say she would take every night to sleep, why are you lying about it happening on Mother’s Day for dramatic effect?"

Plato passed away in May 1999, just a day after an interview with Stern. Her death was initially ruled an accidental overdose. However, given her history of suicidal tendencies and the high level of drugs found in her system, the Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a s*icide, per the Chicago Tribune.

Around that time, many, including Plato's Diff'rent Strokes co-star Todd Bridges' mother, blamed Howard for pushing her over the edge.

Howard Stern claimed Dana Plato demanded that they return a hair sample she offered on the show to prove her sobriety

Dana Plato was a child actor, appearing in commercials since the age of seven. She made her acting debut in the ABC show The Six Million Dollar Man at 10. Since then, she has appeared in notable films and shows, including California Suite, Diff'rent Strokes, and A Step in Time.

Throughout her career, Dana struggled with substance abuse. During her appearance on Howard Stern's show, Plato discussed her drug addiction but asserted she had been sober.

This prompted several listeners to criticize her for allegedly lying and even claim she sounded stoned. The actress, in tears, offered her hair for drug testing. According to the New York Post, Stern's producer, Gary Dell’Abate, then snipped a few of her strands, with Dana Plato noting the results would come in her favor.

Per the outlet, Stern later alleged that as soon as the show ended, Plato demanded her hair back. When Gary refused, she grabbed his hair. Quoting the media personality, the NY Post wrote:

"She said, ‘I want my hair back.’ That’s when I knew she was lying," adding, "That’s when I knew she must have been on drugs."

However, Dana Plato eventually relented and handed it back, reiterating she was sober.

Per the publication, Howard Stern's comments came after several of his callers and the mother of Todd Bridges, Betty Bridges, blamed him for pressuring her about her sobriety. Betty told the NY Post:

"After going on his show maybe she thought, ‘I need to take a Valium to calm me down because people think I’m on drugs. If you’re not taking drugs and they’re saying you are, then you’re tripping out. She’s very sensitive."

Howard Stern, for his part, claimed Dana Plato enjoyed her time on the show.