John Stamos — who has for decades been a spokesperson for Childhelp abuse prevention organization — recently opened up about his own personal history of being sexually abused. The trauma was something he was only able to come to terms with as he penned his upcoming book, If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir, and it seems his speaking out has already made an impact. Several people including his Full House co-star Candace Cameron Bure and Kristin Chenoweth reached out to show their support after his brave revelation.
With his memoir set for release on October 24, John Stamos opened up in a recent interview about being sexually abused by a babysitter when he was 10 or 11 years old. He said he repressed the incident, unsure how to process those feelings at that age. Now he is hoping that telling his truth will help others know there is a place they can go for help, he said in a video posted to Instagram. The accompanying caption read:
If sharing my story helps just one person, then I’m glad I did. If you or someone you know is being hurt, call, text, or chat the 24/7 Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD or visit childhelphotline.org. If you are a survivor who just wants an anonymous, listening ear to hear your story and help you find some helpful resources, call, text, or chat @childhelp. Thank you for the outpouring of love and support.
John Stamos spoke a little about the “unsettling event” from his childhood and expressed confusion at the time about what to do. He wasn’t sure if he should tell anyone and ended up burying it inside. It wasn’t until about five years ago, when he was preparing to give a speech at a charity event, that those memories came back in a “crystal clear vision” of what he had experienced.
While he said he’s only dedicated a couple of paragraphs to the abuse in If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir, it’s a “significant” and “profound” topic, and several of his friends agreed wholeheartedly in the comments of his video, sending their love in the comments:
- Candace Cameron Bure: ❤️
- Kristin Chenoweth: ❤️ Beautifully said John.
- Jen Lilley: Love you @johnstamos and I love all you do for @childhelp ❤️❤️❤️ you have one of the biggest hearts around. I’m so sorry this is part of your story, and I’m so proud of your response to care for children who may be facing the same thing.
- Krysten Knievel: Thank you for sharing. You’re amazing! Don’t forget - not always adults sexually abusing kids. Kids acting out what they’ve experienced on other kids - kids a few years older taking advantage of little ones. Something for parents to keep in mind as well.
It seems the Uncle Jesse portrayer’s story has already had an effect, and not just with his more well-known friends. John Stamos revealed that he’s already gotten several texts from friends who said they had gone through similar experiences and never told anyone. It definitely took courage for the actor to speak out, even 50 years later, as he pointed out, but hopefully he can get the help he needs now and continue helping other survivors of abuse to reach out for help.
John Stamos’ memoir If You Would Have Told Me, will be released Tuesday, October 24, and will also look at his career as an actor on Full House, General Hospital and ER, as well as his time performing with The Beach Boys and other personal revelations about his life, including how Fuller House saved him after he was arrested for a DUI in 2015.
