Teresa Graves was a trailblazing actress and singer who made history as the first African-American woman to star in her own hour-long television series. She was best known for her role as Christie Love, a sassy undercover cop in the 1970s crime drama Get Christie Love! But her life was cut short by a tragic fire that claimed her life in 2002. Here is what we know about Teresa Graves’ cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it.
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A Promising Career in Show Business
Teresa Graves was born on January 10, 1948, in Houston, Texas, to Marshall and Willie Graves. She moved to Los Angeles with her family when she was young and graduated from Washington High School in 1966. She began her career as a singer with The Doodletown Pipers, a vocal group that performed on various TV shows. She also recorded a self-titled album in 1970.
Graves soon switched to acting and landed roles in several films and TV shows. She was a regular on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, a popular comedy sketch show, during its third season. She also appeared in movies such as That Man Bolt, Black Eye, and Old Dracula. But her most memorable role was as Christie Love, a smart and stylish detective who worked undercover for the Special Investigations Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. Graves starred in the pilot movie Get Christie Love! in 1974, which was a huge success and led to a series of the same name. The series ran for one season from 1974 to 1975 and made Graves the first African-American woman to headline her own hour-long drama series.
Graves was praised for her performance as Christie Love, who was described as “television’s most delightful detective, the epitome of a tough lady cop with more feminine features than Venus” by Jet magazine. She also became a role model for many young women, especially those of color, who admired her confidence and charisma. Graves received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 1975 for her role.
A Devoted Jehovah’s Witness
Graves was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in 1974, shortly after she landed the role of Christie Love. She became very active in her faith and used her celebrity status to raise awareness about the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Malawi under the dictatorship of Hastings Kamuzu Banda. She also traveled to various countries to preach and share her beliefs with others.
In 1983, Graves retired from show business to focus on her religion and care for her mother. She married William D. Reddick in 1977, but they divorced in 1983. She remained single for the rest of her life and lived in Hyde Park, Los Angeles, where she was known as a kind and generous neighbor.
A Fatal Fire at Her Home
On October 10, 2002, Graves’ home caught fire due to a malfunctioning space heater. She was asleep upstairs when the fire started and did not hear the smoke alarm that went off downstairs. Neighbors saw the flames and called 911, but it was too late to save her. Firefighters found Graves unconscious in a bedroom and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she died from burns and smoke inhalation. She was 54 years old.
Graves’ death shocked and saddened many people who knew her or admired her work. Her former co-star Charles Cioffi said that she was “a lovely person” who “had great talent”. Her fans also paid tribute to her legacy as a pioneer for black women in television. She was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
Teresa Graves’ cause of death was a tragic accident that ended the life of a talented and beautiful woman who had made history on screen and off screen. She will always be remembered as Christie Love, the fearless and fabulous detective who inspired many with her catchphrase: “You’re under arrest, sugah!”
