Actor John Stamos has recently opened up about traumatic memories from his childhood involving alleged sexual abuse by a former babysitter.
Now 60 years old, Stamos revealed that these memories surfaced anew while he was working on his memoir, “If You Would Have Told Me,” released on October 24, 2023.
In a recent interview, the well-known “Full House” actor recalled how, at the age of 10 or 11, he would “play dead” in hopes that the babysitter would stop the abuse. He shared that he had initially brushed off this memory, associating it vaguely with a phrase like “girls, man.” Reflecting on it now, he admitted, “I shouldn’t have had to deal with those feelings.”
Stamos explained that, like many others, he had suppressed these painful memories as a way to cope with trauma. Although he touched on the incident in his memoir, he opted to keep the mention brief, not wanting it to overshadow the larger narrative.
Stamos’ memoir does not solely focus on his traumatic past; it also provides insight into his personal relationships. A prominent topic he covered is the aftermath of his divorce from Rebecca Romijn in 2005. After their split, Stamos bore a strong resentment toward Romijn, going so far as to call her “the devil” at one point. He believed his feelings of bitterness arose from seeing Romijn’s career thrive while his seemed to stall.
However, with the passage of time and a journey of self-reflection, Stamos came to recognize his role in the deterioration of their marriage. He candidly admitted that his resentment played a role in his increasing dependence on alcohol.
Despite the challenges he faced, Stamos found love and happiness once again. He is now married to Caitlin McHugh Stamos, and the couple has a son together. His current life, along with the memoir’s release, represents a journey of self-awareness, recovery, and personal development.
Rebecca Romijn has also publicly discussed the complexities of her relationship with Stamos. In a May 2022 appearance on “The Talk,” Romijn conveyed her affectionate memories with Stamos and reminisced about their shared moments. She described their divorce as a “failure” and expressed sadness over the moments they lost. Yet, she emphasized the numerous positive memories they built together.
In light of these discussions, Stamos emphasized that, regardless of Romijn’s fond memories, the two haven’t directly spoken since their final meetings during the divorce proceedings.