Growing Pains child star Ashley Johnson recalls terrifying moment she was nearly kidnapped from set by armed man

Former child star Ashley Johnson has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry after exposing a harrowing, long-hidden incident in which an armed man allegedly attempted to kidnap her directly from the set of Growing Pains.

The 42-year-old actress, who famously joined the beloved ABC sitcom family at just seven years old to play the youngest Seaver sibling, Chrissy, broke her silence on the terrifying ordeal during a brand-new episode of her Weird Kids podcast.

Reflecting on the incredibly lax security protocols that governed Hollywood television sets in the early 1990s, Johnson revealed that the boundary between the live studio audience and the young cast members was practically non-existent.

According to the star, the terrifying event unfolded immediately following the conclusion of a live episode taping, during an era when security checks and metal detectors were completely absent from studio lots.

As Johnson was walking near her mother, a fan suddenly bypassed the minimal security barriers, lunged forward, and physically snatched the young child before attempting to flee the scene.

Ashley started her career as a cast member of Growing Pains in the early 90s. (ABC Archive / Disney Entertainment)

"And then I just remember some guy hops out of the line, and he grabs me up and starts booking it," Johnson recalled to her cohost Taliesin Jaffe, describing the sheer panic that erupted behind the scenes.

Thankfully, alert on-set security guards managed to intervene quickly, wrestling the heavily armed abductor to the ground and freeing the young actress.

However, because of her extremely young age, Johnson admitted that she was completely unable to mentally process the true gravity of the life-threatening situation while it was actively happening.

Instead, the innocent child star was far more concerned about the potential repercussions of losing a specific piece of clothing belonging to the network's production crew.

"All I remember is, like, there was security that somehow got on him after some time," Johnson explained. "I was clueless as to what was happening but I was very upset"

"I just said, 'I think I'm going to be in trouble… he took one of my shoes.' It wasn't my shoe, it was wardrobe's shoe."

The nightmare took an even more sinister turn after investigators discovered that the stalker had previously sent an anonymous, explicit death threat directly to the production offices.

Johnson revealed that the studio had intercepted a letter stating the individual was coming to the set with a gun to 'murder some of the cast.'

By shining a raw light on the historical lack of protection for young performers, the beloved actress has sparked a major conversation regarding the dark side of early television fame, however she didn't let it put her off from pursuing a lucrative career in the industry.

Since her early beginnings, Johnson has gone on to become a household name, working mostly on animated shows and video games, such as Recess and The Last of Us, alongside hit series such as Blindspot. She is also well known for being an integral part of the Dungeons and Dragons troupe Critical Role.