By age seven, she earned over $100,000 in a year. Her not so favorite subjects, math and PE. Judith Barsi looked like she had it all, but, sadly, this was far from the truth. “The child was not allowed to go anywhere – very few places – alone,” Linda said. When Kivlen asked “If you kill her, what will happen to your Little One?”, to which Jozsef responded, “I gotta kill her too.”. They went back to the crime scene, and Douglas subsequently called 911. The investigation was dropped when Maria assured the case worker that she was planning on divorcing Jozsef and moving her and Judith into an apartment she had recently rented as a daytime retreat from the abuse at home. (Source) […], […] One year later, All Dogs Go to Heaven was released. She’s not here.”. Your email address will not be published. The handsome man often paid for drinks with $100 bills. She was small for her age, which allowed her to continue playing young children well into her tenth year. This once shining little girl became reclusive and began to self harm. Judith spoke Hungarian fluently, and when she and Maria were in public, they would often speak in Hungarian so no one would know what they were talking about. Ironically, along with the title, the episode dealt with grief and healing. The Bernal family opened up about how their suburban Los Angeles home is haunted on Quibi's Murder House Flip. Barsi was a childhood actor best known as the voice of Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven. While Hansen encouraged the move, Maria told her in June that she wanted to stay in the home for Judith's birthday. The only child of Jozsef Barsi and Maria Benko, Judith Eva Barsi beat 10,000-to-1 odds when she was discovered at a San Fernando Valley skating rink at age 5 1/2 in 1983 and mistaken for a three-year-old. Judith Barsi was born on June 6, 1978, and would be the couple’s only child. Joe and Maria did not know each other in their native Hungary but both fled it following the 1956 Soviet invasion. She brought smiles to many who watched her blossom and grow on their TV sets at home. Learn more about working with Thought Catalog. Yep!” that makes you smile instantly. She began plucking out all of her eyelashes and even pulled out all of her cat’s whiskers. Police found no evidence of injuries on Maria and she eventually refused to prosecute. Judith Barsi (IMDb) The Bernal family were excited to start a new life when they bought their Canoga Park, California, home 19 years ago. Judith Barsi’s story is, to a huge degree, one of the most tragic ones to come out of Hollywood. After pulling her hair in rage, he bought “Little One” a pink television set to make up for it. The sad story of Judith Barsi, the child actress killed by her father. “You’re going to break it!” Jozsef snarled. By the time fire fighters and first responders arrived, the interior of the home had been destroyed. One neighbor recalls an afternoon when Maria had arrived home with a kite for Judith. Behind closed doors Judith and her mother, Maria Agnes Barsi, were subjected to constant abuse at the hands of Judith’s father, Jozsef Barsi. Concrete Angel for Judith Eva Barsi (1978-1988) Concrete Angel for Judith Eva Barsi (1978-1988) Concrete Angel for Judith Eva Barsi (1978-1988) ... 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. The vast improvement Judith’s fame brought to their new lifestyle was not enough to stop Jozsef from abusing Judith and Maria. They were already dead. Judith had a supporting role in the ABC Afterschool Special episode "A Family Again," starring alongside Ricki Lake, Rhea Perlman, and Tonya Crowe. The song and the film were dedicated to Judith’s memory. She recalled thinking, “He’s done it. In 2004, a marker was added to her previously unmarked grave. Although Judith enjoyed acting, it occasionally had a downside. Those who knew Judith described her as smart, adorable and funny. The Bernal family were eager to have a fresh start in Canoga Park, Calif., but their home came with a tragic past. And this was the sad end of a little girl whose talent could have become the most celebrated throughout all of America. Although she never became a star, she eventually worked in over 50 commercials as well as in TV shows and movies. Judith Barsi had a promising career ahead of her as a Hollywood child star. He spoke with Judith’s agent during this time and stated that he intended to move out for good, and he just wanted time “to say goodbye to my little girl”. Hansen recalled talking to the psychologist who said, “Ruth, it is extreme verbal, mental and emotional problems with this child and I have to report it to Children’s Services.”, A spokeswoman for Children’s Services later said the agency had contacted Maria who said she had “a plan of action.” However, Hansen claims Maria “said they weren’t doing anything so she said, ‘I guess I’ll have to handle it myself.’”. Little Judith Eva Barsi was an adorable actress of both television sitcoms and the silver screen. However, Maria never followed through with her plan to leave. However, Judith’s earnings were not yet enough to prevent the family from suffering financial hardships in 1985 when Joe’s drinking prevented him from working. Yep! That same May, Sherry Barber, saw Maria and Judith in a studio parking lot. As Judith gained more fame with the help of her devoted mother, Jozsef became increasingly abusive, jealous and paranoid. Judith was terrified of her father, and justly so. Judith loved swimming and often played in her best friend’s sprinkler. Life Story: How I was Forced to Marry Beatrice. On July 25, 1988, Jozsef walked into Judith’s room and shot her in the head as she slept. She also said he hit and choked her. Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 – July 25, 1988) was an American child actress of the 1980s. JUDITH BARSI. American child actress Judith Eva Barsi was born on June 6, 1978 and was the only child of Jozsef Barsi and Maria Benko. Still, Judith’s career continued to flourish even after her death. She also loved playing the Milton Bradley game Operation. Her favorite colors were pink and purple and her favorite flower was a sunflower. By subscribing, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Statement. Little Judith Barsi was making over a $100,000 a year in 1988. […] She never did. Take after take after take for commercial for Campbell’s Tomato Soup left her with an aversion to tomato soup. Now, based on what Corey Feldman and other whistle blowers have said about rampant pedophelia in Hollywood, one can’t help but wonder if Judith is somehow connected to this grand pedogate investigation. She began her career in television, making appearances in commercials and television shows, and later appeared in the films Jaws: The Revenge, The Land Before Time, and All Dogs Go to Heaven, supplying the voice for animated characters in the latter two. He then shot Maria as she stood in the hallway. Judith was a sweet girl with a charming smile. This is in reference to Barsi's catchphrase by her character, Ducky, from "The Land Before Time" (1988). You just wanted to squeeze her to death! Her body was near the TV set he gave her to make up for having pulled her hair. She recalls thinking “He’s done it. With a knife held to her neck, he warned Judith, “If you decide not to come back, I will find you and I will cut your throat.”, When Judith and Maria stopped in New York after filming to visit friends, Judith spoke on the phone with Jozsef and he shouted at her: “Remember what I told you before you left!”. Joe appeared to adore Judith, fondly calling her “Little One.” However, he also often appeared inexplicably angry at her. Ducky was reportedly her favorite acting role. The one downfall for Judith with all of the acting she was doing, was that she often missed school and told a friend, Lisa Williams, that she “missed being in school because she missed her friends a lot.”. Although Maria was a full-time homemaker because of Joe’s opposition to her working outside the home, he complained about her housekeeping to friends and showed them mounds of clothes and toys left throughout the house. In 1988, Judith Barsi and her mother were shot to death by Jozsef Barsi, her father, before soaking their bodies in gasoline, setting them on fire and fatally shooting himself in the garage. After the conversation, Jozsef doused Judith and Maria’s bodies with gasoline and attempted to set them on fire. My daddy is drunk every day and I know he wants to kill my mother.”, Judith’s friends recall the fear they also had of Joszef. Mother and daughter returned to California where family disruption continued to torment Judith. Before Judith’s career took off, the family had been living on welfare and struggled financially. In 1984, she played a little girl murdered by her father in the TV mini-series Fatal Vision that was based on a real-life case. When Judith Barsi turned 10 years old in 1988, she already had a string of commercial, TV and film appearances under her belt. The two were rarely apart from one another with Maria even teaching Judith how to knit. 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