Alexander Polinsky is making his voice heard!
On Wednesday, the Charles In Charge star spoke out for the first time about his sexual harassment and abuse allegations against Scott Baio.
Related: Melissa Schuman Files Police Report Against Nick Carter For Alleged Rape
Sitcom costar Nicole Eggert, who also claims Baio sexually abused her as a minor, stood by his side.
As we reported last week, in a statement read by host Sara Gilbert on The Talk, the now-43-year-old says he suffered “regular verbal attacks,” “mental abuse,” and “physical assault” from Baio while on the 1980s show.
At a press conference with lawyer Lisa Bloom in Woodland Hills, California, Polinsky detailed that abuse:
“I was sexually harassed by Scott Baio and ultimately assaulted by him between the ages of 12 and 15 years old…
During the first year of the show, I was 11 or 12, I observed Scott with our costar Nicole on his lap backstage. I was so naive I innocently hopped on his lap expecting to hear a story about Fonzi or Happy Days, or something awesome; Scott Baio was a hero to me, I was 11 years old. Scott immediately threw me off him and began angrily calling me ‘f*ggot’ while Nicole laughed. I felt confusion, shame, and then fear when I realized I had judged the situation wrong. It was innocent; it was sexual in nature…
Scott Baio began a pattern of abuse that was unrelenting. Baio repeatedly told me about gay sex acts that he told me I would grow up to perform. I would protest and ask him to stop saying these things, but he said it was for my own good.
Scott told me of his sexual conquests with young girls and the costars of the show. At the same time tried to convince me I was unlovable, defective, and branding me with the most vulgar words for homosexuals that exist.
Scott pulled down my pants in front of over 100 people. And on another time he laughed as he cut a hole in the canvas wall of my private dressing room on set and exposed his genitals to me.
One of the most painful memories of my childhood was when Scott and I were backstage waiting to enter the set for a scene. I faked a basketball to him; he got startled and out of anger assaulted me by throwing a burning hot cup of tea in my face…
I believe I was being subjected to mental torture in retaliation for what I had seen. The abuse continued through the run of the show. The adults around me on set were aware of these things but were too scared of losing a job on a hit show to act.”
Horrible. Just horrible.
[Image via Alexander Polinsky/Twitter/CBS/Dennis Van Tine/Future Image/WENN.]
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