Gary Coleman – Former ‘SNL’ Star Molly Shannon Claims Actor Sexually Harassed Her: He Was Relentless
Gary Coleman – Former ‘SNL’ Star Molly Shannon Claims Actor Sexually Harassed Her: He Was Relentless
Actress/comedian Molly Shannon is opening up about a terrifying incident that allegedly took place with Gary Coleman.
During a recent interview, Molly Shannon, 57, revealed that she was once sexually harassed by the late “Different Strokes” star, Gary Coleman. The “Saturday Night Live” veteran also detailed the alleged incident in her new memoir, “Hello, Molly!”
At the time of the alleged harassment, Molly Shannon had just signed with Gary Coleman’s agent and was offered the chance to meet him. According to Shannon, she was invited up to Coleman’s penthouse hotel room alongside their shared agent. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse once the agent left them alone. Shannon recalled,
“I think he was like, ‘Sit down [on the bed].’ It was very sweet. And then he’s, like, tickling me a little. This and that.”
Shannon said that she was “trying to be polite” about turning down Coleman’s advances, pointing out that she was “a virgin” at the time of the incident. But she claims Coleman became more aggressive. Molly Shannon explained,
“He was relentless. Then, he was like trying to kiss me and get on top and I was like, ‘No, Gary. Stop.’ So, I push him off. Then, I would get off the bed. Then, he would bounce on the bed. Jump, jump, jump. And wrap himself around me. Then, I would fling him off. And then he got on top of me. I guess because of his size I didn’t feel physically threatened. But … it was going on and on. Repeating. I would throw him off, he would get back on. And then finally, I throw him off. I was really getting out of breath because it was athletic and aerobic.”
She continued,
“He grabs me onto my leg and I was like [trying to] kick him off. And then, I go lock myself in the bathroom and then he sticks his hands under the door. And he’s like, ‘I can see you.'”
The “Superstar” actress said she eventually “sprinted out” of the room and later told her agent “watch” Coleman better. Shannon added,
“I wish I could have stood up for myself more.”
Gary Coleman died in 2010 at the age of 42. Before his passing, the actor was taken to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage at his home.
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