{"id":6801,"date":"2026-07-15T16:30:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T11:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=6801"},"modified":"2026-07-15T16:30:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T11:30:58","slug":"growing-pains-ashley-johnson-talks-almost-on-set-kidnapping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=6801","title":{"rendered":"Growing Pains\u2019 Ashley Johnson Talks Almost On-Set Kidnapping"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/pictures\/growing-pains-cast-where-are-they-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Growing Pains<\/em><\/a> alum <strong>Ashley Johnson<\/strong> revealed she was almost kidnapped as a child while filming the hit \u201890s sitcom.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson, 42, recalled the terrifying experience during the Wednesday, July 8, episode of her \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FF05EKJDNd8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Weird Kids<\/a>\u201d podcast, detailing that members of the show\u2019s live studio audience would stand close to actors as they exited their trailers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m walking with my mom and I just remember some guy hops out of the line and he grabs me up and starts booking it,\u201d Johnson, who joined the cast as a six-year-old when she began portraying Chrissy Seaver, said. \u201cHe ended up, clearly, going to jail. He had a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The child star, who currently works as a television voice actress, added that on-set security helped her avoid a very dangerous situation. \u201cAll I remember is, like, there was security that somehow got on him after some time. The security comes out, they wrestle him down [and] I just remember flying around in the air,\u201d she told her podcast cohost, <strong>Taliesin Jaffe<\/strong>. \u201cI was clueless as to what was happening but I was very upset and they were talking to me about it after.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__thumbnail related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/tracey-gold-says-fat-jokes-on-growing-pains-impacted-her-anorexia\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-source=\"01\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=200%2C113&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=300%2C169&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 400w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=600%2C338&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 600w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=800%2C450&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 800w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=900%2C506&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 900w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1000%2C563&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1000w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1200%2C675&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1600%2C900&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1600w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1800%2C1012&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1800w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tracey-Gold-Says-Fat-Jokes-on-Growing-Pains-Fueled-Her-Anorexia.jpg?crop=0px%2C90px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=1920%2C1080&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 770px) calc(100vw - 6em), 200px\" alt=\"Tracey Gold Says Fat Jokes on Growing Pains Fueled Her Anorexia\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__title-link related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/tracey-gold-says-fat-jokes-on-growing-pains-impacted-her-anorexia\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-source=\"01\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">Tracey Gold Says \u2018Fat Jokes\u2019 on \u2018Growing Pains\u2019 Impacted Her Anorexia<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tTracey Gold\u2019s experience filming Growing Pains wasn\u2019t always filled with laughs. While playing Carol Seaver on the Emmy-winning comedy series, Gold, 55, said\u00a0 \u201cfat jokes\u201d made about her character ultimately had a lasting impact on her real-life physical and mental health. \u201cIn the beginning, the Carol Seaver and Mike Seaver [played by Kirk Cameron] relationship [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Johnson added that she was unable to process the moment as a child, recalling her surprising response to crew members who checked in on her. \u201cI just said, \u2018I think I\u2019m going to be in trouble \u2026 he took one of my shoes,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI had one slipper [and] it wasn\u2019t my shoe, it was wardrobe\u2019s shoe. They got him \u2026 [security] saved me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The actress also claimed that prior to the almost-kidnapping, a fan of <em>Growing Pains<\/em> sent in a letter that threatened deadly consequences. \u201c[It read] \u2018I am coming to set and I am going to bring a gun and I am going to murder some of the cast,\u2019\u201d Johnson recalled.<\/p>\n<div id=\"news-block\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form  \">\n\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/us-weekly\/assets\/img\/newsletter-bg-narrow.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"newsletter-form__background background-narrow\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/us-weekly\/assets\/img\/newsletter-bg-wide.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"newsletter-form__background background-wide\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup__success\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<h3>Thank You!<\/h3>\n<p>You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Johnson joined <em>Growing Pains<\/em>, which starred series regulars <strong>Kirk Cameron<\/strong>, the late <strong>Alan Thicke<\/strong>, <strong>Joanna Kerns<\/strong>, <strong>Jeremy Miller<\/strong> and <strong>Tracey Gold<\/strong> as well as guest star <strong>Leonardo DiCaprio<\/strong> during its final season, in its fourth season.<\/p>\n<p>It ran on ABC from 1985 to 1992 and centered on the Seavers, a family with close bonds both on-screen and away from the cameras.<\/p>\n<p>Cameron, 55, said in an interview with <em>Today<\/em> two days after Thicke\u2019s death following a heart attack at age 69, that the Seaver family felt like a real family. \u201cWe laughed and cried together, shared birthday celebrations, Christmas parties, holidays and worked together with the crew as a team to make a really special TV show,\u201d he told the outlet at the time. \u201cWe weren\u2019t just a TV family. In many ways, we were a real family.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Growing Pains alum Ashley Johnson revealed she was almost kidnapped as a child while filming the hit \u201890s sitcom. Johnson, 42, recalled the terrifying experience during the Wednesday, July 8, episode of her \u201cWeird Kids\u201d podcast, detailing that members of the show\u2019s live studio audience would stand close to actors as they exited their trailers&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2246640238-Ashley-Johnson-Reveals-Almost-Getting-Kidnapped-While-Filming-Growing-Pains.jpg?crop=154px%2C125px%2C1113px%2C585px&resize=1200%2C630&quality=86&strip=all","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6801\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}