Tragic Details About Baywatch Star Nicole Eggert's Relationship With Scott Baio
This article contains allegations of sexual assault.
The "Baywatch" cast's lives seem to be filled with tragedies. After the show ended, child star Nicole Eggert revealed she suffered from body image issues during the series. Eggert had previously worked on "Charles in Charge" with Scott Baio. When Eggert joined the show she was 14, while Baio was around 26. In 2013, the actor told "Nik Richie Radio" that she had started to engage in a sexual relationship with Baio when she was 16 (via People). Eggert claimed that she had sex with Baio when she was 17 because she didn't want to be a virgin for her then-boyfriend.
In 2018, Eggert discussed the matter during an appearance on "The Dr. Oz Show," but Baio's lawyers caught wind of it and reportedly sent a cease and desist letter, asking her to clarify the timeline of the alleged sexual abuse. Shortly after, the former "Baywatch" star went public with her accusations through a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, "Ask @scottbaio what happened in his garage at his house when I was a minor. Creep," (via E! News).
Baio clapped back at Eggert on X, but that didn't stop her from being vocal about her story. When Eggert spoke to Entertainment Tonight in February 2018, she revealed that she even considered ending her life at 15 because she couldn't deal with the trauma from the assault anymore. Thankfully, she didn't go through with it, but the scars from the alleged abuse run deep.
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The alleged abuse began when Nicole Eggert was 14
Nicole Eggert shared further details of her alleged sexual assault when she appeared on "Megyn Kelly Today." The actor recalled that it all began when she was 14 and went on until she turned 17. Eggert alleged that Scott Baio first approached her as a friend and built a rapport with her. Then, he began to tell the teen that he loved her and wanted to marry her when she grew up. The actor claimed he started sexually abusing her when she was 14 and had sex with her at 17, while they were still working together.
According to Eggert, even castmates had their suspicions because of Baio's behavior on set. Co-star Alex Polinsky confirmed that he once caught Eggert sitting in Baio's lap. He thought it was innocent and tried jumping on too, but Baio called him a homophobic slur and pushed him off (Polinsky has also accused Baio of physical assault and mental abuse). Although Eggert claims Baio didn't have to physically overpower her to take advantage, he psychologically manipulated her into doing whatever he wanted.
The "Baywatch" alum explained how Baio pressured her into silence, pointing out, "The issue with him is that he was our boss." She continued. "He also was telling me, 'You can't tell anybody, this is illegal, I will go to jail. The show will be over, everyone will be sued. You will be out of a job, you will ruin everybody's life.'" The shame and fear forced Eggert to craft stories to defend him.
Scott Baio admitted to having sex with Eggert
Scott Baio clarified that he only had sex with Nicole Eggert after she turned 18. He shared his side of the story on Facebook Live, alleging, "I remember her calling me and asking to come over and coming in my house one time and seducing me." Baio added, "Now, any normal heterosexual, red-blooded American guy ... the outcome would have been the same," (via ABC News). The actor asserted that he couldn't have assaulted Eggert on set because a guardian supposedly always accompanied minors.
In another response posted to X, Baio stated that Eggert's "Dr. Oz Show" appearance was canceled because their fact-checkers found her claims to be without merit. The actor attempted to further discredit Eggert's account by arguing she only came up with the stories of her teenage sex abuse after people poked holes in her timeline. According to disbelievers, "Charles in Charge" ended when she was 18, which would make Eggert a legal adult the first time they had sex.
Responding to these jabs on "The Talk," the "Baywatch" star reasoned, "He really wants to focus on whether I was 17 or 18 when we had intercourse, and at the end of the day, that's irrelevant at this point." Eggert continued, "Whether that happened or didn't happen, let's talk about what you did when I was 14 years old," (via USA Today). Baio posited that if Eggert's claims were true, she would've gone to the police instead of social media. Later, Eggert and Alex Polinsky did exactly that but sadly, the statute of limitations had expired, so the case couldn't progress.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).