Molly Shannon says she was sexually harassed by late Diffrent Strokes actor Gary Coleman – Daily Mail

Molly Shannon says she was sexually harassed by late Diff’rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman

  • Shannon, 57, said she had the same agent as the actor at the time 
  • SNL alum said she went to meet Coleman with her agent for tea in 1987 at the Plaza Hotel 
  • Coleman and her agent invited him to check out the Presidential Suite he was staying in 
  • Superstar actress said Coleman was ‘relentless’ in trying to fondle her after agent left the room 
  • She said she locked herself in a bathroom and sprinted out of the room 
  • Coleman played the role of Arnold Jackson on Diff’rent Strokes from 1978-1986 
  • The actor died at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center on May 28, 2010 
  • Shannon also opened up about the interaction in her new book Hello, Molly! 

By Adam S. Levy For Dailymail.com

Published: 21:04 EDT, 13 April 2022 | Updated: 21:23 EDT, 13 April 2022

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Molly Shannon said she was sexually harassed by late actor Gary Coleman.

The 57-year-old actress, appearing Tuesday on The Howard Stern Show, went into detail about her experience with Coleman, who died at 42 in 2010, a story she opened up about in her book Hello, Molly!

Shannon said that she had inked a deal with Mark Randall, the same agent who represented Coleman, and went to meet Coleman with her agent for tea in 1987 at the Plaza Hotel, before inviting him to check out the Presidential Suite he was staying in.

The latest: Molly Shannon, 57, said she was harassed by late actor Gary Coleman in 1987, in appearance Tuesday on The Howard Stern Show

The latest: Molly Shannon, 57, said she was harassed by late actor Gary Coleman in 1987, in appearance Tuesday on The Howard Stern Show

The latest: Molly Shannon, 57, said she was harassed by late actor Gary Coleman in 1987, in appearance Tuesday on The Howard Stern Show

The Shaker Heights, Ohio native said that when their agent departed the room, Coleman’s behavior turned predatory and ‘relentless.’

Shannon said that Coleman, who played the role of Arnold Jackson on Diff’rent Strokes from 1978-1986, initially appeared ‘very sweet’ as he invited her to sit on a bed in the room before he began tickling her.

‘Then, he was like trying to kiss me and get on top and I was like, “No, Gary, stop,”‘ she told Stern. ‘So, I push him off. Then, I would get off the bed. ‘Then, he would bounce on the bed, jump, jump, jump, and wrap himself around me. Then, I would fling him off, and then he got on top of me.’

Shannon, who said she hadn’t ever had sex at the time of her meeting with Coleman, said that she ‘didn’t feel physically threatened’ by the 4ft8 actor ‘because of his size.’

Coleman, who died at 42 in 2010, was snapped in April of 2009 in NYC

Coleman, who died at 42 in 2010, was snapped in April of 2009 in NYC

Coleman, who died at 42 in 2010, was snapped in April of 2009 in NYC 

The Shaker Heights, Ohio native said that Coleman's behavior turned predatory and 'relentless' when their agent departed the hotel room

The Shaker Heights, Ohio native said that Coleman's behavior turned predatory and 'relentless' when their agent departed the hotel room

The Shaker Heights, Ohio native said that Coleman’s behavior turned predatory and ‘relentless’ when their agent departed the hotel room 

The Saturday Night Live alum said that Coleman was ‘going on and on’ in his harassment of her, as she ‘would throw him off [the bed and] he would get back on.

‘And then finally, I throw him off. I was really getting out of breath because it was like, athletic and aerobic.’

The Superstar actress said she headed for the bathroom and Coleman, who was 18 at the time, grabbed her leg as she was trying to kick him off.

‘And then, I go lock myself in the bathroom and then he sticks his hands under the door. And he’s like, “I can see you,”‘ she said.

The Saturday Night Live alum said that Coleman was 'going on and on' in his harassment of her, as she 'would throw him off [the bed and] he would get back on'

The Saturday Night Live alum said that Coleman was 'going on and on' in his harassment of her, as she 'would throw him off [the bed and] he would get back on'

The Saturday Night Live alum said that Coleman was ‘going on and on’ in his harassment of her, as she ‘would throw him off [the bed and] he would get back on’

Coleman was seen in a 1985 episode of Diff'rent Strokes alongside Danny Cooksey and the late Dana Plato

Coleman was seen in a 1985 episode of Diff'rent Strokes alongside Danny Cooksey and the late Dana Plato

Coleman was seen in a 1985 episode of Diff’rent Strokes alongside Danny Cooksey and the late Dana Plato  

The SNL alum also opened up about the experience in her new book Hello, Molly!

The SNL alum also opened up about the experience in her new book Hello, Molly!

The SNL alum also opened up about the experience in her new book Hello, Molly!

Shannon said she finally ‘sprinted out’ of the hotel room and cautioned her agent to keep a closer eye on the actor.

‘I wish I could have stood up for myself more,’ Shannon said of the incident.

Coleman died at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center on May 28, 2010 following a intracranial hemorrhage.

The actor had dealt with multiple health issues throughout his life, undergoing a series of operations and transplants, and problems with his kidneys that impacted his growth.

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