Growing Pains Alum Reveals Nightmarish On-Set Kidnapping Attempt
Growing Pains alum Ashley Johnson revealed on the Weird Kids podcast that, as a 6 or 7-year-old on the show’s set, she was grabbed by a man from the live studio audience who claimed he would murder cast members; security intervened after the assailant—who had a gun—was wrestled to the ground, saving Johnson. A threatening letter from a fan had preceded the incident, which occurred during her first year on the ABC sitcom. Johnson, who later voiced Gretchen Grundler and Gwen Tennyson and acted in Blindspot, noted that the kidnapping attempt was part of a broader history on the show, including tribute moments like Leonardo DiCaprio attending Alan Thicke’s memorial after his death.
