Bob Saget was not a pedophile, and all evidence also points to the unassailable fact that he never sexually assaulted the Olsen twins. The late comedian became well known for his role as Danny Tanner in the 1987 show Full House. Danny was the father of Michelle Tanner, a role which the Olsen twins; Mary-Kate and Ashley, took turns portraying from 1987-1995, when the show wrapped up.
The news of Bob Saget’s death in January 2022 left many of his fans, friends, and family with a deep sense and feeling of loss. However, some of his detractors have hung on to and continued to peddle the suggestion that the late actor/comedian was a pervert and a pedophile and that his relationship with the Olsen twins was anything but fatherly due to the fact that he sexually assaulted them while they were on the set of Full House.
Was Bob Saget a Pedophile?
Bob Saget was not a pedophile, an assertion that most of his naysayers will be quick to rail against. One thing that needs to be stated, however, is the undeniable fact that Bob was not a saint either. He was always known for his hilarious jokes and comedic content. His role as Danny Tanner, a father of three, in Full House portrayed him as a doting father and casual parent.
Behind the scenes, however, Bob maintained his funny persona, but it was laced with a vulgar streak which he found a skilled way of hiding in front of the camera. One question that has been regularly asked, even when Saget was alive, has been asked in relation to his relationship with the Olsen twins. It is also a question that has generated controversy because of the late comedian/actor’s behavior while on set.
The rumors and subsequent allegations of sexual abuse began in 2008 following the Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget. To put it plainly, the charges began right there in the show after comedian Brian Posehn remarked that Full House had kept pedophiles off the street, further stating that the show had three of them.
His statement was a veiled reference to Saget’s behavior off camera on the set of the show and was also intended as a roast on the late comedian’s personality. Right after Posehn was Jeff Ross and John Stamos, both of whom made it public that Saget had ulterior sexual fantasies that had to do with the Olsen twins.
It is said that many a true word is often spoken in jest, and Bob Saget’s detractors evidently hung on to the aforementioned phrase to blow out of proportion funny statements which were made on a show whose sole purpose is to create scenarios where comedians say things that are clearly intended to offend each other, rather than the truth.
Did Bob Saget Molest the Olsen Twins?
Bob Saget did not molest the Olsen twins, and there is no evidence that even remotely suggests that he did so. The late comedian did, however, admit to making inappropriate gestures on the set of the show in the late 1980s. Gestures that he emphasized he made when he was being goofy and to alleviate the gloom which had been cast on a show that received a substantial level of criticism before it became popular amongst families.
Recall that the Olsen twins were just infants when they were cast in the show to play the role of Michelle Tanner. Infants who were born on June 13, 1986, in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, to David and Jarnette Olsen. Full House premiered in 1987, and the twins were only about 9 months old when they made their debut. It is also important to note that child labor laws meant that they had to take turns playing the role.
However, there were times when neither of the Olsen twins was available due to fatigue or grumpiness, and instead of just waiting for one or both of them to be ready, the showrunners came up with the ingenious plan of using a lifesize doll in place of the twins. In keeping with Saget’s general approach to comedy, though, Saget found a way to treat the doll inappropriately, a decision he recognized as wrong in his autobiography.
It is also important to state that Saget did not face any legal ramifications for his actions as there was no investigation and no charges were filed. In fact, the late comedian was re-cast in his role as Danny Tanner when the show was rebooted as Fuller House (2016-2020), a clear testament to the faith that was reposed in him by the producers of the show.
What Did Bob Saget Do To The Olsen Twins?
Bob Saget did not do anything unseemly to the Olsen twins. On the contrary, the late comedian reportedly had a very good relationship with the twins, whom he was reported to be quite protective of. The accusations of Saget sexually abusing the twins were perpetuated when neither of the twins agreed to reprise their role as Michelle Tanner after the show was rebooted in 2016.
It was later revealed that Ashley Olsen, one-half of the twins, chose not to appear on the show because, according to her, she had not been in front of a camera since she was 17 years old, and she also didn’t feel comfortable about acting any longer. The other half of the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate Olsen, reinforced Ashley’s claims. She also admitted to the fact that she would have been the one to play the role if the timing of the show wasn’t so off for her.
According to the late comedian’s friend, Gilbert Gottfried, Bob Saget had a father-daughter relationship with the Olsen twins because of how long they had known each other. The paternal connection that existed between the twins and Bob extended beyond the screen and even as the twins got older. Gottfried also stated that Bob was extremely protective of the twins because of that bond.
Both the twins and Saget were actively involved in each other’s lives. The twins, before chasing their dreams of becoming fashion designers, acted in a few more movies and TV series, two of which featured Bob Saget. The twins, on the other hand, were always available, in one way or the other, for Bob’s annual Cool Comedy Hot Cuisine fundraiser, which was dedicated to the research of Scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that took the life of Bob’s sister Gay Saget.
Any notion of bad blood between the late comedian and the Olsen twins has been further dispelled by their reaction to the news of his death on January 9, 2022. They were among the first to send condolence messages to Bob’s family. It is also important to note that the words they used to describe the late comedian, which included compassionate, loving, and generous, were not words a sexually abused person would use to describe their abuser.
