’70S ICON KRISTY McNICHOL MAKES A RARE PUBLIC APPEARANCE—AND FANS COULDN’T BE HAPPIER. K2 ❤️

“What a gracious sweetie,” Wilson said. “She sure is loved.”

McNichol, now 62, was born in Los Angeles and got her start in Hollywood with appearances on iconic 1970s TV shows like Starsky & Hutch, The Bionic Woman, CHiPs, and The Love Boat.

At 14, she was cast as “Buddy” Lawrence on the ABC series, Family, a role that earned the young actress two Emmys for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series. McNichol’s coming-of-age story lines were instrumental in Family’s cultural impact during its four-season run until 1980.

That year, she solidified herself as a teen star in the dramatic-comedy Little Darlings opposite Tatum O’Neal as two girls entering their sexual awakening while away at summer camp.

In her late 20s, McNichol found new fame on NBC’s Empty Nest, the Golden Girls spinoff centered around widowed pediatrician Dr. Harry Weston (Richard Mulligan) and his two adult daughters, played by McNicol and Dinah Manoff.

In 2001, she announced her retirement from Hollywood after 24 years.

“My feeling was that it was time to play my biggest part — myself,” she said in a statement. “I must say that it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. So many fans are disappointed that I’m not currently acting; however, some may not realize that the process I’m in at this time is necessary and vital for my personal happiness and well-being.”

McNichol shifted focus to her passions, including tennis, yoga, traveling, and spending time with her beloved miniature dachshunds.

But in 2012, she stepped out of her peaceful private life to make a public announcement: She had been in a relationship with a woman, Martie Allen, for two decades.

McNichol made the decision to come out because “she is very sad about kids being bullied,” her publicist Jeff Ballard told PEOPLE at the time. “She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different.”