The Terrifying Experience John Stamos And Jodie Sweetin Lived Through On Full House

Even before the Internet was in everyone's lives, fans of TV shows and movies were actively sharing their opinions, whether positive or negative. But sometimes, certain viewers take their fandom to the extreme, leading them to scare and even threaten their favorite stars for varying yet still unfathomable reasons. Such was the case with cast members of the hit sitcom "Full House," during its initial run from 1987 to 1995 (the reboot, "Fuller House," ran from 2016 to 2020).

Real-life friends Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber, who played Stephanie Tanner and Kimmy Gibbler respectively on the show, co-host a podcast called "How Rude, Tanneritos!" in which they take a look back at every episode of the original series. Former co-star John Stamos joined them for the November 30, 2023 episode to discuss working on the sitcom, as well as to promote his book, "If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir," which was published on October 24. 

Although he didn't include it in the memoir, Stamos brought up a scary time when the original series was in production, asking the hosts, "Do you guys remember that I got death threats?" They did indeed recall, with Barber remarking, "When they brought the audience in on that Friday night, they set up metal detectors for the first time. Like, this was unheard of back in the early 90's," even noting that Stamos did "the sign of the cross" before entering the stage.

Reminiscing about the "nervous energy" behind the scenes, on "How Rude, Tanneritos!," Jodie Sweetin, Andrea Barber, and John Stamos joked about their fellow co-stars vying for his parking space after an unhinged fan showed up and demanded to know where Stamos was so they could murder him. Although security was called, the man had vanished by the time they arrived. 

As a result, Stamos revealed, "I had an FBI agent with me 24 hours a day," adding, "And I was so stupid because I was trying to ditch him." Later, then-executive producers Robert L. Boyett and Thomas L. Miller told him, "John, we don't want you to worry, but you got a death threat." Taken aback, Stamos' response was, "What? Don't worry? What do you mean don't worry?"

This scary situation was even more shocking considering that Stamos initially wanted to leave "Full House" because even at the first table read he felt the child actors were upstaging him. But the actor told "First We Feast" video show host Sean Evans, in an interview posted July 25, 2023, that after a while he realized it was an ensemble show with family love at its core.

On the podcast, Jodie Sweetin mentioned that she'd also received death threats as a youngster working on "Full House," to which Andrea Barber added, "Or letters from men in prison asking for specific photos of us as children." Sweetin also shared that a person once called the studio, "Asking for my mom, and they connected it to my dressing room, and they were like, 'do you know where your daughter is now? We have her.' Really creepy stuff." Similar to co-star John Stamos, Sweetin also had a bodyguard and the FBI followed her because this person was trying to kidnap her.

The danger Sweetin faced sadly continued, as TMZ reported in 2017 that her ex-fiance, Justin Hodak, had violated a restraining order the actor had on him. She claimed his use of alcohol and steroids made him angry, and Sweetin got the order after he claimed he would kill himself, or let the police kill him. After that, Hodak kept lurking outside her house, so she called the cops, and they arrested him. According to Entertainment Tonight, Hodak was sentenced to over six years in jail not only for violating the order but possessing a firearm he shouldn't have due to prior felonies.

For his part, Stamos wasn't surprised by all the craziness and death threats while working on "Full House," stating on the podcast, "I always had someone that wanted to beat me up. Always. Until now, I think. I don't know."

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