Molly Shannon says she was sexually harassed by Gary Coleman: ‘I wish I could have stood up for myself more’
‘I would throw him off, he would get back on,’ actor said
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Molly Shannon has claimed that late actor Gary Coleman sexually harassed her.
During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the 57-year-old actor shared details of the alleged incident which took place at Coleman’s penthouse hotel room.
In 1987, Shannon had just signed with Coleman’s manager Mark Randall and went to meet the On The Right Track actor for tea at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
After the meeting, Coleman, who died at the age of 42, invited Shannon to check out the penthouse suite he was staying in.
Shannon alleges that as soon as Randall left the suite, Coleman’s behaviour turned “relentless”.
“I think he was like, ‘Sit down [on the bed].’ It was very sweet,” she said. “And then he’s, like, tickling me a little. This and that.”
The actor explained that she turned down Coleman’s advances, but he allegedly became more persistent with his actions.
“He was relentless,” Shannon said. “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,” she said. “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. Bu … 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.”
The Other People actor said that Coleman grabbed her onto her leg and she tried to “kick him off”.
“Then, I go lock myself in the bathroom and then he sticks his hands under the door,” she added. “And he’s like, ‘I can see you.’”
Shannon said she then “sprinted out” of the room and told Randall to “watch” Coleman better.
“I wish I could have stood up for myself more,” she told Stern.
Shannon has also detailed this alleged incident in her new memoir, Hello, Molly!
The Independent wasn’t able to reach out to Coleman’s representatives.
If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here.