Ashley Johnson is looking back on one of the scariest memories from her years as a child actor on Growing Pains.
People reported that Johnson recalled the incident on her Weird Kids podcast, where she told cohost Taliesin Jaffe that a man once grabbed her during one of her first live tapings on the sitcom.
Page Six also covered the story, noting that Johnson was only about 6 or 7 years old at the time.
Johnson Said the Set Had Very Little Separation From Fans
Johnson joined Growing Pains as Chrissy Seaver in 1990 and remained with the series through its 1992 finale. While remembering those early filming nights, she said the cast would walk close to the studio audience on their way from trailers into the studio.
Johnson said there were no metal detectors and that cast members could pass within just a few feet of audience members before filming.
She described the environment as loose and exposed, with actors walking past fans while waving and greeting them before the show.
A Threatening Letter Had Reportedly Been Sent
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Johnson said someone had written to the production before the incident and threatened to come to the set with a gun. She described that detail as the dark part of the story, especially because she later said the man who grabbed her was armed.
The actress said she was walking with her mother when a man jumped out of the audience line, picked her up and started running. Security eventually caught him, but Johnson remembered the confusion of being tossed around while adults tried to stop him.
People reported that Johnson said the incident happened during her first year on the show, after she had only done a couple of filming nights.
Her Childhood Reaction Was Heartbreaking
At the time, Johnson said she did not fully understand what had happened. She remembered adults asking if she was okay, while she was worried she might be in trouble because one of her shoes was missing.
She also recalled being so young and polite in the moment that she was not immediately processing the danger the way an adult would.
Johnson said security got the man and that he was later jailed. She also said he seemed extremely strong and appeared to be under the influence of something at the time.
Johnson’s Career Continued Far Beyond Growing Pains
Johnson has stayed active in entertainment long after her child-star years. She later became known for voice work in Recess, Ben 10 and The Last of Us, and she also starred on NBC’s Blindspot.
She is also a longtime cast member of Critical Role, and Weird Kids has given her a place to revisit her child-acting years with Jaffe, who also grew up working in the industry.