"Baywatch" alum Nicole Eggert reveals she contemplated suicide at the age of 15 over Scott Baio's alleged abuse.
Eggert recently accused her “Charles in Charge” castmate Scott Baio, 57, of sexually abusing her as a minor, and she says she nearly committed suicide as a result.
Eggert, 46, told police that while on the set of the popular sitcom, Baio — then 25 — reportedly abused her over a two year period beginning when she was 14. She said her struggle to cope with the trauma led her to a bridge over the Los Angeles River.
"For so long I hid it because I thought because I didn't fight back, and because he wasn't holding me down, that it made it OK – that I was to blame as well," she told Entertainment Tonight.
“In those days, I had moments of being so hurt and so upset, and even thoughts of ending my life.”
She recalled staring down at the river as she wept, before ultimately deciding it wasn't worth it.
“I’m sobbing and I looked at it,” she said, “And I said to myself, ‘It’s not a legit bridge. You’re not going to die. You’re going to break a lot of bones and you’re not even going to kill yourself. Get home.'”
>> Related: Scott Baio explains why he’s on verge of giving up acting and Hollywood all together
The actress made the allegations against Baio official when she filed a police report on Tuesday.
She initially tweeted the shocking claims, telling the public to “Ask @scottbaio what happened in his garage at his house when I was a minor” and calling him a “creep.”
Eggert later appeared on the "Today Show" and shared her story of Baio's alleged predatory behavior. "He immediately took to me and befriended me and earned my trust. He expressed his love for me and talked about marriage in the future," she told the host, Megyn Kelly. "And then, before my 15th birthday, we were at his house, in his car, in his garage, and he reached over, and he penetrated me with his finger. And that is when the sexual touching and abuse started."
>> Related: Renee Baio told off a Sandy Hook mom, and all hell broke loose
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite
A few days later, Baio appeared on "Good Morning America," and acknowledged the pair did have sex, but that it was consensual. He also says it was after the show stopped shooting, and Eggert was of age. He claims he remained friends with Eggert "after [their] only sexual encounter, which she aggressively sought." He took to Facebook Live to earnestly deny the accusations.
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