Ashley Johnson Reveals Near-Abduction During 1990 Live Taping of “Growing Pains”

In the first year of her role as Chrissy Seaver on ABC’s sitcom “Growing Pains” (1990-1992), child actress Ashley Johnson was seized by a man who had slipped into the audience line during a live taping. Johnson, then six or seven years old, was walking toward the studio entrance with her mother when “some guy hops out of the line and he grabs me and grabs me up and starts booking it.” Security intervened after a brief struggle that left Johnson “flying around in the air.” The assailant was later found to be carrying a gun and appeared to be under the influence of an unidentified substance.

Variety Magazine

Live-audience sitcom tapings in the early 1990s often used makeshift backstage facilities—cast members rode in “old camper trailers” and walked past the audience with only a few feet of separation. Studios at the time did not employ metal detectors or other security protocols that are now standard in Hollywood productions. Prior to the incident, the production had received a written threat stating, “I am coming to set and I am going to bring a gun and I am going to murder some of the cast,” yet no additional protective measures were installed.

Variety Magazine

• 1990 – Johnson joins the cast of *Growing Pains* as the youngest Seaver child.

Variety Magazine

• 1990 (first year on set) – Live taping incident occurs during a studio audience walk-through.

Ashley Johnson Nearly Abducted During Growing Pains Filming

• 2024 – Johnson recounts the event in detail on the *Weird Kids* podcast with co-host Taliesin Jaffe.

People Magazine

Johnson described the chaotic moment as a “clueless” experience, noting that after security restrained the attacker she was asked, “Are you okay?” Her immediate concern was not danger but the possibility of getting into trouble. She added that the man “was high on something. It wasn’t meth, but it was something — like, he was so strong,” and that he ultimately “got him.”

Ashley Johnson Nearly Abducted During Growing Pains Filming

The episode highlights how industry-wide security standards have shifted. Modern productions now require metal detectors, controlled audience access, and clear barriers between talent and the public. Johnson’s recollection serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities that existed for child performers and the importance of rigorous safety protocols in contemporary filming environments.

Ashley Johnson Nearly Abducted During Growing Pains Filming

Industry observers have pointed to the lack of metal detectors and the proximity of audience members to child actors as a serious oversight. The fact that a written threat was received yet no additional safeguards were implemented is cited as an example of inadequate risk assessment by the studio at the time.

Ashley Johnson Nearly Abducted During Growing Pains Filming

All sources agree the assailant possessed a firearm, but descriptions of his intoxication differ. One account specifies the man was “high on something” and “not meth,” while another simply notes he was “under the influence of a substance.” No official statement from the studio or production company has been released to clarify the security measures in place after the incident.

Ashley Johnson Nearly Abducted During Growing Pains Filming

• “It was in the first year I was on, and we had only done a couple of film nights.” — Ashley Johnson, *Weird Kids* podcast

People Magazine

• “Somebody had written in and said that, ‘I am coming to set and I am going to bring a gun and I am going to murder some of the cast,’” — Ashley Johnson, *Weird Kids* podcast

Variety Magazine

• “So, I’m walking with my mom and then I just remember some guy hops out of the line and he grabs me and grabs me up and starts booking it.” — Ashley Johnson, *Weird Kids* podcast

Variety Magazine

• “Because I think I was such a polite kid at the time. I think he was running with me and running away. I was like, ‘Who are you, sir? What is your name? I was very pleased to meet you.’” — Ashley Johnson, *Weird Kids* podcast

People Magazine

• “But he was packing. They got him. This was the thing. He was high on something. It wasn’t meth, but it was something — like, he was so strong.” — Ashley Johnson, *Weird Kids* podcast

People Magazine