Molly Shannon says she was sexually harassed by late Diff’rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman
- Shannon, 57, said she had the same agent as the actor at the time
- SNL grad says she met Coleman with her agent for tea at the Plaza Hotel in 1987
- Coleman and her agent invited him to see the Presidential Suite where he was staying
- The superstar-actress said Coleman tried “relentlessly” to pet her after the agent left the room
- She said she locked herself in a bathroom and sprinted out of the room
- Coleman played Arnold Jackson on Diff’rent Strokes from 1978 to 1986
- The actor died on May 28, 2010 at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center
- Shannon also spoke in her new book Hello, Molly!
Molly Shannon said she was sexually harassed by the late actor Gary Coleman.
The 57-year-old actress, who appeared on Tuesday’s Howard Stern Show, detailed her experience with Coleman, who died in 2010 at the age of 42, a story she wrote in her book Hello, Molly!
Shannon said she signed a deal with Mark Randall, the same agent who represented Coleman, and met Coleman with her agent for tea at the Plaza Hotel in 1987 before inviting him to view the Presidential Suite where he was staying.
The latest: Molly Shannon, 57, said she was molested by the late actor Gary Coleman in 1987 while appearing on Tuesday’s Howard Stern Show
The Shaker Heights, Ohio native said Coleman’s behavior became predatory and “relentless” once her agent left the room.
Shannon said that Coleman – who played Arnold Jackson in Diff’rent Strokes from 1978 to 1986 – initially looked “really cute” when he invited her to sit on a bed in the room before he started hugging her tickle.
“Then he tried to kiss me and get on top, and I was like, ‘No, Gary, stop it,'” she told Stern. “So I’m repelling him. Then I would get out of bed. “Then he bounced around on the bed, jumped, jumped, jumped and wrapped himself around me. Then I threw him away and then he got on top of me.’
Shannon, who said she had never had sex at the time of her meeting with Coleman, said she “didn’t feel physically threatened” by the 4ft 8 actor “due to his height”.
Coleman, who died in 2010 at the age of 42, was caught in NYC in April 2009
The Shaker Heights, Ohio native said Coleman’s behavior became predatory and “relentless” once her agent left the hotel room
The Saturday Night Live former said Coleman kept harassing her as if she was putting him off [the bed and] he would get back in.
“And finally I throw him off. I was really out of breath because of how athletic and aerobic it was.
The superstar-actress said she went to the bathroom and Coleman, who was 18 at the time, grabbed her leg as she tried to push him away.
“And then I lock myself in the bathroom, and then he puts his hands under the door. And he says, “I can see you,” she said.
![The Saturday Night Live former said Coleman kept harassing her as if she was putting him off [the bed and] he would back up'](https://www.spamchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1649902659_303_Molly-Shannon-says-she-was-sexually-harassed-by-late-Diffrent.jpg "Molly Shannon says she was sexually harassed by late Diff'rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman 6")
The Saturday Night Live former said Coleman kept harassing her as if she was putting him off [the bed and] he would back up’
Coleman appeared in a 1985 episode of Diff’rent Strokes alongside Danny Cooksey and the late Dana Plato
The SNL graduate also spoke in her new book, Hello, Molly!
Shannon said she eventually “ran” from the hotel room and warned her agent to keep a closer eye on the actor.
“I wish I could have stood up for myself more,” Shannon said of the incident.
Coleman died on May 28, 2010 at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center from complications of an intracranial hemorrhage.
The actor has struggled with multiple health issues throughout his life, undergoing a number of surgeries and transplants, and having problems with his kidneys that have stunted his growth.