Actress Nicole Eggert revealed Scott Baio threatened her job and molested her “probably once a week” on set

The #MeToo movement, which took social media by storm in October 2017, helped countless women speak out about their sexual abuse at the hands of powerful men. And former Charles in Charge actress Nicole Eggert, who has brought allegations against her former co-star Scott Baio, discussed her assault on NBC’s Megyn Kelly Today on January 30th.

Eggert told Kelly that when the sitcom began, she was 14 and Baio was in his mid-20s. She said he immediately earned her trust and soon declared that he loved her. Baio’s advances escalated, and Eggert said the actor first molested her shortly before her 15th birthday, penetrating her with his finger, and that it happened “probably once a week” going forward.

"I was very young and it was shocking," Eggert said. "I had never experienced anything like that before, either. So he was playing on not only my emotions but my hormones. The issue with him is that he was our boss."

Baio apparently said that Eggert would lose her job if she told anyone what had happened. She told Kelly that he continued to assault her for two years, until she was 16. Eggert also added that she had sex with Baio at 17 — one year younger than the legal age of consent in California.

She stated that she had lied in past interviews about their sexual encounters because she wasn’t ready to come forward with her accusations, noting that “shame” plays a huge part in keeping victims silent. However, in her conversation with Kelly, Eggert said that she is currently considering filing a police report against Baio. false

In a series of tweets on January 27th, Eggert made her first public allegations against Baio, calling him “a creep.” Adam Carl, who worked with her on Charles in Charge came to her defense, tweeting that he believed her. false

When I worked on Charles in Charge in ‘88, I sat with you while you cried about that abusive asshole. I know you’re telling the truth and I’m so glad to see you speaking out.

— Adam Carl (@AdamCarlsGhost) January 27, 2018

After Eggert’s tweet, Baio posted a Facebook video in which he denied having molested Eggert, using her previous statements on their relationship as evidence. Baio said that he had a relationship with Eggert but that she was older than 18 at the time.

Just like any survivor of sexual abuse, Eggert deserves to have her voice heard, and we applaud her for coming forward. If the #MeToo movement has taught us anything, it’s that it’s never too late to speak up and hold abusers accountable.