Tragic Details About John Stamos' Life
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John Stamos has been a Hollywood fixture for decades, but off-camera, he's faced a series of tragedies throughout his life. Best recognized for his iconic role as Uncle Jesse on "Full House" and its follow-up, "Fuller House," Stamos has also made appearances on shows like "General Hospital" and "ER." In addition to his acting career, he has also made a mark in the realm of production with projects like "Big Shot" and "Grandfathered."
Despite his professional success, Stamos has grappled with personal challenges that often garnered media attention for less positive reasons. His battle with alcohol addiction resulted in a DUI and arrest in 2015, a period he candidly addressed in his memoir, "If You Would Have Told Me." In the book, he also opened up about his divorce from Rebecca Romijn, the losses of his close friend Bob Saget and his mother, and a deeply painful revelation — his experience of abuse as a young boy.
Despite the setbacks, Stamos, now happily married to actor and model Caitlin McHugh, with whom he shares their son Billy, has found a sense of fulfillment. Reflecting on his family life, he expressed gratitude, saying, "My dreams came true 100 times over," in an interview with People magazine.
He was abused as a child
In his memoir, "If You Would Have Told Me," John Stamos discloses a deeply distressing revelation about being sexually abused by his former babysitter when he was a boy. The actor, born in 1963, recounts that the abuse occurred when he was around 10 years old. Stamos, in an interview with People, admitted that he only fully grasped the inappropriate nature of the babysitter's actions while writing the book, stating, "I remembered it slightly. It has always been there, but I packed it away as people do, right?"
Describing the traumatic experience to the outlet, Stamos revealed he engaged in a defensive tactic of "playing dead so they'll stop," emphasizing that, while "not totally aggressive, it was not good." Reflecting on the impact, he expressed, "I shouldn't have had to deal with those feelings." Despite enduring the abuse, he never openly discussed it and even rationalized the abuser's actions by saying to himself, "Ah, it's girls, man."
Despite his personal ordeal, Stamos has channeled his energy into advocating against child abuse. As a longstanding ambassador for Childhelp, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping abused children, he has committed himself to the cause. Stamos revealed in his memoir that he almost shared his own story while receiving an award for his humanitarian work but decided against it so as to ensure the focus remained on raising awareness for the children rather than his personal experiences.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
Stamos was broken after his divorce from Rebecca Romijn
During the 1990s and early 2000s, John Stamos was famously involved with Rebecca Romijn, an actor and former model. They first met in 1994 and dated until 1997, when Stamos proposed. Tying the knot less than a year later, they quickly became one of Hollywood's most iconic couples. However, their marriage hit a rough patch in 2003 and they split, ultimately leading to their divorce in 2005.
In a candid interview on "The Howard Stern Show," the "Big Shot" actor admitted to feeling like less of a man during the relationship because Romijn had a more successful career at the time. Romijn, transitioning from modeling to acting, landed roles in blockbuster films like "X-Men" and "Femme Fatale," while Stamos hadn't done significant projects since wrapping "Full House" in 1995. Reflecting on the breakup in his memoir, Stamos shared his side of the story, admitting to Stern, "I think that [Romijn] outgrew me."
Opening up to People, Stamos admitted to feeling broken for a long time after divorcing Romijn, initially placing the blame on her. "In my mind back then, she was the devil, and I just hated her," the star explained. Over time, he came to recognize his own role in their downfall, but not before turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms to get over the breakup. "That's when I really started to kind of drink a lot," Stamos told the outlet. Despite the challenges, Stamos credits the rough period with shaping the person he is today.
He lost his mother to cancer in 2014
In 2014, John Stamos faced the grief of losing his mother, Loretta Stamos at the age of 75 due to cancer. Announcing the heartbreaking news on Instagram, he described her as having "enough love to fuel a small country." In 2017, John penned an emotional Mother's Day letter to honor his late mother, published by Good Housekeeping. "Your voice, your beautiful face, your over-abundance of love is always running in the back of my mind and certainly in my heart," he wrote, adding, "I miss you madly, mother — until we meet again."
Nearly a decade later, in his memoir, John delved into the nature of their relationship and the aftermath of Loretta's passing. As reported by Nine, after his father had died in 2001, John grew remarkably close to his mother, who even managed his fan club during his "General Hospital" time. He fondly recalled the sweet notes she used to leave around, which somehow always made their way to whoever needed them most.
John vividly recounted the challenging moments during Loretta's battle with cancer, highlighting the overwhelming guilt he felt when having to part with her. Fortunately, he managed to be with her one last time, kissing her 51 times before her passing. To honor his mother's memory, Stamos frequently shares heartfelt tributes on social media, tugging at his followers' heartstrings. Alongside a touching video of Loretta, he captioned one post, "Fighting back the tears, but smiling through the memories... I miss you so much, Mom."
The actor struggled with alcohol addiction
Following his divorce from Rebecca Romijn and the loss of his parents, John Stamos sought solace in alcohol as a means to cope with the heartbreak. In his memoir, the actor candidly reflects on the period in his life when he realized he was on the brink of self-destruction.
In 2015, Stamos was arrested for driving under the influence. Describing the incident to People, he acknowledged, "That's when I was confusing the universe because I'm not a bad person, but I was doing crappy things." His book delves into this experience, revealing that during that time, Stamos was somewhat indifferent to the idea of dying. Following the DUI, he received a three-year probation, had to go through a three-month alcohol program, participate in 52 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and undergo two hours of counseling, Reuters reported.
"I had to sober up. I was just drinking too much," he told People. Additionally, according to his interview on "The Howard Stern Show," his family organized an intervention and sent him off to a rehab facility in Utah. Post-rehab, Stamos had big shoes to fill — the shooting of "Fuller House," the sequel to the iconic "Full House," started about a week after he had gone back to his normal life. "I had a lot waiting for me, and I feel bad because a lot of people don't," he admitted. Stamos has since given up alcohol completely.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Stamos suffered the heartbreaking loss of his close friend, Bob Saget
John Stamos and his "Full House" co-star, Bob Saget, shared a bond so close that Stamos considered Saget his real-life brother. Following Saget's heartbreaking death in 2022, Stamos was left in shambles. Recounting the moment he learned about Saget's death in his book, according to the Daily Mail, Stamos described "hitting the ground in the parking lot and [his] knees slamming down on the asphalt." After a series of devastating phone calls with the "Full House" cast, Stamos still couldn't believe what had happened.
The actor admitted that he hasn't fully come to terms with Saget's absence, highlighting that attending his friend's funeral was the most difficult thing he had ever done. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Stamos expressed his sorrow, stating, "I am in complete and utter shock. I will never ever have another friend like him." Despite the emotional turmoil, Stamos acknowledged the support of his wife, Caitlin McHugh, and their son Billy, who helped him navigate through the tough times, preventing a recurrence of his struggles with alcohol addiction, as per Entertainment Weekly.
On Instagram, Stamos frequently shares heartfelt tributes to Saget, underscoring the depth of their friendship. Alongside a sweet vacation photo, he quoted Jack Lemmon, writing, "Death ends a life, not a relationship." Another post featuring a picture of Stamos, his late mother, and Saget was captioned with a request for Saget to wish his mom a happy birthday, ending with "Love you angels!"