[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
OMG. It’s hard to even imagine something this terrifying happening behind the scenes of what so many people remember as a wholesome family sitcom.
Ashley Johnson, who many of us first knew as little Chrissy Seaver on Growing Pains before going on to have a great career in television and voice acting, is opening up about a shocking childhood memory that could have ended in absolute tragedy.
During a recent appearance on the Weird Kids podcast, the actress looked back on the horrifying moment she says an armed man nearly kidnapped her while she was just a little girl working on the set of the hit ’90s series. WTF…
Related: Savannah Guthrie Speaks Out On The ‘5 Months Of Agony’ Since Mom Nancy’s Kidnapping
What makes the story even more unsettling is that, according to Johnson, there had already been a warning before the frightening incident unfolded. On the podcast, she recalled how someone had sent a message to the show that read:
“I am coming to set and I am going to bring a gun and I am going to murder some of the cast.”
Just unimaginable…
Johnson explained that audience members at the live tapings were incredibly close to the cast as they walked from their trailers, and that accessibility became terrifyingly real one day when she was walking alongside her mom. Recounting the moment on the podcast, she said:
“So, I’m walking with my mom, and then I just remember some guy hops out of the line, and he grabs me, and grabs me up and starts booking it. And all I remember is there was security that somehow got on him after some time.”
WHAT?!
Thankfully, security acted quickly before the situation became even worse. Johnson continued:
“Security came out, they wrestle him down, and I remember just flying around the air.”
Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of hearing her tell the story is realizing just how young she was. Johnson has said she was only around 6 or 7 years old during her first season on Growing Pains, and she admitted she didn’t even fully understand what had happened at the time.
Instead, she remembered worrying that she’d somehow be in trouble because one of her shoes had come off during the chaos. That is such an innocent child’s perspective on an incredibly traumatic event.
Related: Career Criminal Wanted For Alleged Kidnapping — Just Miles From Nancy Guthrie’s Home!
Thankfully, the ending to this story is one of relief. Johnson shared:
“He ended up clearly going to jail. He had a gun. And, you know, they got him, and they saved me.”
WTF…
Looking back now, it’s remarkable to think about everything Johnson has accomplished since those early sitcom days. After Growing Pains, she built an impressive career with memorable roles in projects including Blindspot, beloved animated series like Recess and Ben 10, and, of course, her acclaimed performance as Ellie in The Last of Us video games. But hearing this story is a sobering reminder that child actors can face dangers far beyond the cameras and bright lights of Hollywood.
We’re so grateful this terrifying chapter ended with brave security guards stepping in before the unthinkable happened. What an unbelievable story…
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[Image via Weird Kids Podcast/YouTube]
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