The 60-year-old former Full House star recently disclosed in an interview with PEOPLE that he felt compelled to chronicle his upcoming memoir, “If You Would Have Told Me,” in order to come to terms with a troubling incident involving a babysitter.
Stamos, who has long been an advocate for ChildHelp, a non-profit dedicated to combatting child abuse, admitted that this memory had always lingered in the recesses of his mind. Stamos expressed, “I’m deeply involved in advocacy for survivors, and I sensed that I had some recollection of it.
It has always lingered in the background, but, as people tend to do, I shelved it, right?” Representatives for Stamos did not promptly respond to EW’s request for a statement. Stamos disclosed that he didn’t confide in anyone about this incident at the time, only revisiting it when he was crafting an acceptance speech for an award he had received for his advocacy work.
He remembered, “As I started putting it into words, that’s when it truly came back to the surface.” But then I thought, ‘No, tonight isn’t about me. It’s about the children. I’ll shelve it again until the right moment.’ Otherwise, I’d be a hypocrite. It’s like, ‘Come on.
Initially, Stamos was hesitant to incorporate this story into his memoir, apprehensive that it could overshadow the overall narrative. He clarified, “I was reluctant to let the focus shift to this, and I didn’t want the book’s central theme to revolve around it.”It was just a page or so, but I felt compelled to address it. It was an unusual experience.
I think I was approximately 10 or 11 years old at the time it occurred. I shouldn’t have had to grapple with those emotions.” Stamos, who now has a five-year-old son with his wife, Caitlin McHugh Stamos, added, “However, I can tell you that if I discovered someone was doing that to my son, it’s a completely different story.”
In his memoir, Stamos delves into both the triumphs and challenges of his career and personal life, such as his divorce from Rebecca Romijn and his arduous journey to sobriety, which began following his DUI arrest in 2015. “I initially set out to write a heroic tale,” Stamos shared with PEOPLE.
However, during the process, I came to the realization that, “No, I’m going to tell a relatable human story.’ The heroic narrative is a façade. If I’m not entirely candid, what’s the point, right?”
Stamos’ upcoming memoir, “If You Would Have Told Me,” will be available in bookstores starting October 24.
