Joanna Moore left The Andy Griffith Show after only four episodes, with rumors flying around that she had an affair with Andy Taylor during their time on set. Others claimed she was too glamorous for Mayberry and Andy Griffith’s hometown life.
The three episodes featured the brief romance between Joanna’s character, Peggy McMillan, and Andy’s before he met his wife. Contrary to speculations, Joanna considered her time on the classic to be “better than anything else I’ve ever done.”
Joanna dealt with addiction and depression
After leaving The Andy Griffith Show, Joanna battled with addiction and depression, which led to losing custody of her children with Ryan O’Neal, her second husband. Sadly, both children dealt with the same predicament later in life, including her daughter, Tatum O’Neal, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the early ‘70s.
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Aside from her short-lived role in Mayberry Town, Joanna starred in films like The Real McCoys (1957-1963), Maverick (1957-1962), and The Rough Riders (1958-1959) and co-starred with Elvis Presley in Follow That Dream (1962). Joanna died from lung cancer in 1997, days after her 63rd birthday.
Did Andy and Joanna date?
The 2015 release by Daniel de Vise— Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show affirmed rumors of romantic relations between Andy and Joanna. He revealed that it was not Andy’s first time falling for a co-star, as he was smitten by Aneta Corsaut while married.
However, the relationship between both actors did not influence Peggy’s departure from the series. Joanna’s character was removed because it was unrealistic for her to settle down in Mayberry with Griffith due to her wealthy background.
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