The character of Jerri is based on drug-addict
Florrie Fisher, who talked to kids in schools about the dangers of drugs during the 1970s. Many of the show's story lines mirror Fisher's account precisely, including Jerri's joining a cult, lesbian compulsion and in the series finale, her relapse and return to the streets. In real life, Fisher mysteriously disappeared after her high school lecture stint, having presumably relapsed to a life of addiction, prostitution and thievery.
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