Who is Olivia Barash and what happened to her? ‘Repo Man’ star’s friend creates GoFundMe amid eviction fears

Olivia Barash is currently facing financial troubles after experiencing strokes (or strokes) and seizures in October. According to the Daily Mail, she is only two weeks away from being evicted from her Los Angeles apartment.

During a recent conversation with TMZ, Olivia, 60, shared that she needs “help during this terrible time” and “didn’t expect” to face the risk of eviction after recently dealing with a medical emergency. Barash, who is an actress, director, producer, singer, and songwriter, according to IMDb, added that she was looking for post-stroke care and had been “bedridden” ever since.

“I want to move to a safe place and be normal again. I just need some assistance right now,” she added.

While Olivia Barash told the publication that she has “no family” and “hardly any friends left” in LA, a woman named Nanea Reeves launched a GoFundMe on Monday to help the actress through her crisis.

“Our dear friend Olivia Barash needs help. In 2 weeks, she and her dog will be evicted. Her SNAP benefits are not available. She recently had a stroke and has no family in her life, just her friends… If you are able to help, it would be so appreciated. With gratitude, Nanea, aka friend of Olivia,” the description read.

The fundraiser has reached $10,413 against the goal of $16,000 from over 150 donors, as of writing.

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Exploring the career of Olivia Barash

Olivia Barash was born on January 11, 1965, in Miami, Florida. She began acting at the age of five in a New York stage musical called Gypsy, where she played the role of Baby June. Later, she became the first child artist to receive the New York Critics Circle Award. As a youngster, Olivia also took piano lessons at Carnegie Hall and attended Phil Black’s dance studio.

She moved to Los Angeles to pursue a Hollywood career and appeared as Sylvia in the TV series Little House on the Prairie. Her other acting credits as a child artist include Charlie’s Angels and Soap.

Olivia Barash appeared as Leila in the film Repo Man in 1984, followed by other big-screen projects such as Tuff Turf alongside Robert Downey Jr., Paul Schrader’s directorial venture Patty Hearst, and Floundering. In 1978, she also played two leading roles in the sitcom In the Beginning and the Disney film Child of Glass. Barash also acted in the indie series Fame, One Day at a Time, and 21 Jump Street.

She worked alongside A-listers including Johnny Depp and became the in-house promoter for his nightclub, The Viper Room. Olivia co-founded a production company called Original Pixel Cowboys with record executive Dave Jerden in 2015. It produced her animated and live-action dog rescue YouTube series, Barkville TV.

Throughout her career, Barash has appeared in numerous commercials and has directed and written content for Jukin Media and Mattel’s collaborative project, The Pet Collective. As a musical artist, Olivia has created an original song for Oliver Stone’s The Doors and Wes Craven’s Night Vision under the Warner Chappell Music label.

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More about Olivia Barash’s ongoing crisis

Olivia Barash’s friend Nanea Reeves started a GoFundMe to help her with her rent and medical expenses. Titled “Support Olivia’s Journey to Recovery and Stability,” it described the actress as “spirited, creative, and very talented.”

“I have known and loved Olivia for many years… Our goal is to help get first and last month's rent for her to be able to quickly find a reasonable place to live so she can focus on her physical rehabilitation to get back on her feet. She will need some additional money to make ends meet beyond the meagre pension she receives,” the description read.

A follow-up message was also shared by the organizer on Tuesday:

“Thank you, everyone, for all of your support! It has really lifted Olivia’s spirits to know that people care about her well-being. We are working out her housing options now, and this money makes this possible! I will post an update as her status changes. Thank you again for your kindness towards someone in need. It is inspiring to see goodness expressed through your actions.”

While speaking with TMZ recently, Barash noted that she might get evicted if the rent goes up or construction begins on her side of the building, where she lives with her dog, Pippin. She also mentioned her disability application getting rejected, adding that she was working on a documentary when she suffered several strokes, according to her instagram post.

In her Instagram post, she appealed to her fans and followers for help and shared that losing her home would be the “greatest loss I’ve experienced in this lifetime.” She concluded by saying neither the music industry nor SAG-AFTRA has offered any support during her time of need.