It’s a big week for much-beloved actor John Stamos of both Full House and Fuller House. His book, If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir, hits stores this week, but the internet has been abuzz for days about its revelations. The book spans Stamos’ childhood and long acting career and it also hits on some of the more troubled times of his life. In addition to detailing how Fuller House helped him stay sober after a DUI and rehab, Stamos also reveals that he was a victim of child sexual abuse by a babysitter.
Stamos is a spokesperson for Childhelp, an abuse prevention organization, a position he has held for decades. In a video posted to Instagram, he talks about how important the organization is to him. He also says he repressed his own abuse, which occurred when he was around 10 or 11 years old, for years. He says he never told anyone. “I packed it away, and I never talked about it,” he recalls. He also adds that even though he only dedicated a couple of paragraphs in his book to the abuse story, that it is “profound” in his life. When he recalls the moment a few years ago when the memory came flooding back to him with crystal clarity, the emotion in his face and body language is heartbreaking.
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John Stamos, a longtime advocate for Childhelp
Stamos is very passionate about his long-standing work with Childhelp and it shows. He also said that since he’s shared his story of abuse, he’s had three friends text him and say, “The same thing happened to me, and I never told anyone either.” He says if his story helps anyone at all, then he knows it was worth sharing.
Stamos’ Instagram comments section was instantly filled with support from fans and celebrities alike. His co-star Candace Cameron Buré left a heart emoji, while Broadway star Kristen Chenoweth commented, “Beautifully said John.”
On her own Instagram, Candace Cameron Buré shared a video raving about Stamos’ memoir, saying, “It’s SO good.” She went on to say that she cried like a baby and highly recommends that everyone read it.
“I suggest you listen to the audio…” she says, emphasizing that Stamos does “the best voices for all the people he talks about in the book.”
“John, I’m so proud of you,” she says. “It’s so heartfelt, it’s so honest, and it’s beautiful. I love you.”
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Stamos’ post was also heartbreakingly filled with comments along the lines of “this happened to me too,” proving the point Stamos made in his video that 1 in 8 girls and 1 in 25 boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18. He also points out that those statistics are based on the abuses that we know about: because so much child sexual abuse never gets reported, the numbers are most likely chillingly higher. Another fact Stamos wants his viewers to know is that 93% of abusers—like his own—are known to the child. Sexual abuse by a stranger is rare. So parents, be very careful about who you let your children be alone with.
Thank you, John Stamos, for sharing your story and for shedding more much-needed light on the epidemic of child sexual abuse. If you have been abused or need parental resources on how to protect your children, Stamos encourages you to call or text Childhelp at 1-800-4-A-CHILD or go to Childhelp.org.
