Nicole Eggert Reveals She Contemplated Suicide at 15 During Alleged Scott Baio Sexual Abuse

Nicole Eggert opened up about contemplating suicide at the age of 15 hours after filing a police report against Scott Baio for alleged sexual abuse.

The actress told Entertainment Tonight in an interview on Wednesday that she was suicidal after Baio allegedly began to abuse her.

“In those days I had moments of being so hurt and so upset, and even thoughts of ending my life,” she said.

Eggert described a moment she struggled with her trauma.

“I was 15 years old standing on the bridge over the L.A. River at Ventura and Vineland in Studio City, and I looked down at that dry river bed and I’m sobbing, I’m sobbing,” she said. “I’m sobbing and I looked at it, and I said to myself, ‘It’s not a legit bridge, you’re not going to die, you’re going to break a lot of bones and you’re not even going to kill yourself. Get home.'”

“You know, crying even harder, because, like, ‘You idiot, what were you just thinking?’ But you are lost, and hormones are going and raging, and just sexual hormones, you know? Growing hormones.”

Eggert filed a police report against her former Charles in Charge costar on Wednesday.

Her attorney Lisa Bloom told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement Wednesday, “Yesterday Nicole Eggert and I met with two police detectives from the sexual assault unit at my law firm. Nicole answered all of their questions for over an hour and told her story of sexual abuse by Scott Baio when she was a minor.”

Alexander Polinsky, who played Adam Powell on the sitcom, appeared as a witness and described inappropriate touching by Baio that he noticed, according to THR.

Eggert’s manager of 15 years David Weintraub added that the actress felt hopeful after her meeting with the detectives.

“Nicole didn’t know what the statute of limitations was, but apparently the police are doing active investigations into a lot of these high-profile, older cases,” he told THR. “It’s been a very emotional and hard time for Nicole because her credibility and her truth has been questioned. She’s never had to defend what she’s saying so much. Meeting with the police was a groundbreaking moment because Alexander Polinsky also gave his statement. This is her truth.”

On Tuesday, Officer Drake Madison of LAPD confirmed that Eggert did meet at some point with LAPD sexual assault detectives but could not confirm that a report was taken.

Eggert, 46, alleged via Twitter on Jan. 27 that Baio, 57, molested her beginning at age 14.

Baio has repeatedly denied Eggert’s claims, calling them “100 [percent] lies.”

“Why would I have a concern over something I didn’t do?” he said on Good Morning America. “Rather than take your case to social media, where people tend to beat up people like me, why not do it through the proper channels? You put up allegations like that, and it becomes like wildfire.”

Bloom said the actress “definitely has [legal] options,” including a possible civil case and a defamation case because Baio called her a liar.

“We’re discussing what the options are,” said Eggert. “He’s asked me to [take action]. So he might just get what he wishes for.”

During her appearance on Megyn Kelly Today last week, Eggert said the alleged sexual abuse “happened quite often” at Baio’s house from when she was 14 to 16 in the late 1980s — more than 10 times and about once a week, she claimed.

Eggert also claimed that on the series’ set, “There was just a lot of groping, a lot of fondling, a lot of pulling me on his lap, trying to sneak kisses in the back, which a lots of cast members saw.”

“I don’t think they knew about the actual physical sexual abuse, but everybody knew the attention that he gave me,” she said.

Baio claimed that though he got along with Eggert, they were “never” alone together on the Charles in Charge set.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a sitcom set, but on any given day — on every day, especially Charles in Charge, which was like a picnic every day, it was one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever done — there’s teachers, parents, family, crew, producers, my dad. So how any of this could have happened is absolutely impossible,” he said on Good Morning America.

Baio said that on top of putting a strain on his reputation, Eggert’s accusations are affecting his family.

“My 10-year-old daughter does not need to be hearing about this from friends at school, these false allegations,” he said. “Her job is not to defend me. My job is to defend my daughter. Her job is to be 10 years old. That’s why this has got to stop.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).