Tragic Details About The Cast Of Full House
The following article includes references to eating disorders and alcohol and drug addiction.
"Full House" introduced the world to America's favorite TV family of the '80s and '90s — and thanks to its reboot "Fuller House" and newfound home on streaming services like Netflix, it's also reached a whole new generation of fans. The original series starred Bob Saget, Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Ashley Olsen as the central Tanner family, along with John Stamos and Dave Coulier as live-in surrogate dads Jesse and Joey, respectively, and Lori Loughlin as Aunt Becky. The show, which ran from 1987 to 1995, also attracted a host of celebrity guests, from the likes of Little Richard to The Beach Boys.
However, while filming eight seasons of the hit sitcom (and in the decades since), the actors have not always had the easiest ride. The show, which was built on light-hearted comedy, did not always deliver that for the cast off-screen. Some of the things that have happened to the "Full House" cast range from truly tragic, like unexpected deaths, to addiction, relationship drama, and even legal battles.
Here are all the tragic details you need to know about the cast of "Full House."
Full House's leading man Bob Saget died at age 65
Bob Saget was best known for playing Danny Tanner (aka "America's Dad") in "Full House." Danny was a single dad raising three daughters — DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle — with the help of his brother-in-law, Jesse Katsopolis, and best friend Joey Gladstone. Growing up with essentially three dads wasn't the norm back in the '80s or '90s, but for eight seasons viewers watched as the extended Tanner family muddled through and later celebrated when they reunited for the show's spinoff series "Fuller House."
Outside of "Full House," Saget was best known for his stand-up comedy, which he'd been doing since the age of 17. Saget's comedy persona was pretty much the polar opposite of the strait-laced Danny Tanner. During a stand-up set, he revealed that his dirty sense of humor was something he inherited from his dad. Saget leaned into having two public personas, so much so that a lot of his later material included parodies and jokes at the expense of his "Full House" character.
Saget sadly died on January 9, 2022, at the age of 65 while on tour in Orlando, Florida, BBC News confirmed. He passed away suddenly from "head trauma," his family revealed a month later, per The Guardian. A statement that his family released read: "The authorities have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep. No drugs or alcohol were involved."
Bob Saget's sister tragically died
Bob Saget's death was sadly not the first tragedy to strike his family. The actor and comedian's older sister, Gay Saget, died in 1994 at age 47 from scleroderma, a disease that hardens the skin, per the Mayo Clinic. According to People, Bob actually died on "what would have been his late sister's 75th birthday."
Gay had only been diagnosed three years earlier, but according to the actor, her symptoms came on quickly. She needed a lot of help, as did his family. "It is incredibly painful to have a loved one experience a condition like this. It is a very painful disease," he later told NIH Medline Plus Magazine. The actor made it "one of [his] life's missions" to raise awareness of the disease and help find a cure, which sadly has still not been found.
In 1996, Bob Saget channeled his grief into art, directing the drama "For Hope" in memory of his sister Gay Saget's life. "It was a very emotional and fulfilling project, a moment in my life that I will always treasure," said the star (via the Scleroderma Research Foundation).
Candace Cameron Bure developed an eating disorder
Shortly after "Full House" ended, Candace Cameron Bure (who played the oldest Tanner child, DJ) developed bulimia nervosa. Less than two years after the show ended, at age 20, she married Russian-American ice hockey player Valeri Bure. However, the star said the period after leaving "Full House" was extremely difficult to navigate.
"I really kind of lost a sense of who I was because I put so much value in myself as not only a friend and a daughter but as an actress, having worked for so many years, and I couldn't quite find my place," she told Good Housekeeping. Bure also noted that her disordered eating felt like it came out of nowhere, explaining, "I got into a cycle of binge eating and feeling such guilt and shame for that, then I would start purging. And without even knowing, it soon just took over."
The actor has been very open about her experience and recovery, but revealed it is something she's been dealing with ever since. "When you struggle with something like that it never goes away," she told Yahoo! Entertainment. However, Bure feels that she now has "the tools in place" to deal with it in a healthy way, and she also does her best to help others as an eating disorder recovery advocate. "The message across the board from media and magazines is very different [today]," said the actor, who is proud of how far society has come in terms of body positivity, too.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
Mary-Kate Olsen reportedly struggled with an eating disorder
Fashion designer and former child star Mary-Kate Olsen shared the role of Michelle, the youngest Tanner sibling, with her twin sister, Ashley Olsen. When "Full House" ended, the Olsen twins' acting careers just got busier and busier, and by the mid-2000s, they'd appeared in more than a dozen films and television shows. However, it was at this time that Mary-Kate reportedly developed the eating disorder anorexia, People reported.
According to the outlet, Mary-Kate allegedly went to a rehab facility for treatment in 2004 after a family intervention, led by both her therapist and dad Dave Olsen. "They finally reached the point where they had to act," claimed an insider. "They didn't want to find her dead on the floor from not eating."
Four years later, Mary-Kate Olsen publicly spoke about the alleged eating disorder for the first time. Though she didn't confirm to Elle whether it was officially "true or not true," she spoke openly about her experience. "Everybody is going to go through hard times. It's a part of life. I think the hardest part to get to is that point of asking for help or reaching out to other people and being honest with yourself."
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
Jodie Sweetin struggled with addiction
Jodie Sweetin has been very open about her experience with alcohol and substance addiction, which began shortly after "Full House" ended. She played Stephanie, the middle Tanner sibling, and was on the show from the age of five until she was a teenager. "There is a certain sense of loss when a series ends," Sweetin explained to ABC News a decade later. "It is kind of hard to figure out who you are when you've lost your job at age 13, when that was basically how you identified yourself," she added.
At age 14, Sweetin started drinking. "That first drink gave me the self-confidence I had been searching for my whole life. But that set the pattern of the kind of drinking that I would do," she told Us Weekly. Shortly afterward, Sweetin started using drugs, including ecstasy, cocaine, and methamphetamine. "I wanted to prove that I could get more trashed than anyone," the former child star admitted. "There were times I did so much coke, I'd be there laying there, getting sick and thinking 'I'm going to die.' But I didn't care."
Sweetin went to rehab and "got sober for good" in December 2008. A year later, she released a memoir titled "UnSweetined," which was a cathartic experience for the actor. "When you reveal your own secrets, there's no longer anything hanging over your head and the sense of freedom is enormous," she told The Fix.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
This Full House star's addiction affected her relationships
Before getting sober in 2008, Jodie Sweetin married and divorced police officer Shaun Holguin. The couple were together from 2002 to 2006, but Sweetin admitted her addiction was definitely a problem for them. "My husband and I went through some definite trust issues because of all the lying," she said to People (via E!).
In 2007, the "Full House" star married Cody Herpin, and she gave birth to their daughter, Zoie, in April 2008. However, Sweetin recalled reaching what she called "rock bottom" a few months later after driving drunk with her infant child in the car, per Us Weekly. She and Herpin were already separated, but they divorced after the incident. Sweetin wrote in her memoir (via E!) that she soon "threw [her]self" into AA. In 2010, she welcomed another daughter named Beatrix with her boyfriend-turned-husband, Morty Coyle. They married in 2012, but split months later in 2013, at which time Sweetin relapsed. The actor later spoke about the way her addiction influenced her decisions when it comes to relationships. "I don't get tattoos, I get husbands," she quipped, per The Rocket. Despite her relapse, Sweetin committed to staying sober and trained as a drug and alcohol counselor, which she found incredibly "fulfilling."
From 2015 to 2017, Sweetin dated and was engaged to fellow recovering addict Justin Hodak. However, their relationship ended on a sour note. In 2018, she started dating Mescal Wasilewski, and the couple announced their engagement in January 2022. "I can't wait to see the life that lies ahead for us," she wrote on Instagram in celebration.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Jodie Sweetin almost lost custody of her daughter
Actor Jodie Sweetin worked hard to recover from her alcohol and substance addiction, getting "sober for good" in December 2008, per Us Weekly. However, Sweetin's sobriety was prompted by an aforementioned incident with her and Cody Herpin's daughter, Zoie, who was a few months old at the time. "I had two glasses of wine and drove with her in the car," Sweetin to Us Weekly. "I not only put myself in danger but also my daughter, who I loved more than anything. I felt terrible."
For several months after the incident, spanning from 2008 to 2009, Herpin was seeking sole custody of Zoie. "I got a call that there was an emergency custody investigation because of my drinking. From that day forward, I threw myself into going to AA and avoided people who do blow off their coffee tables," Sweetin explained. Thankfully, the custody battle ended when Sweetin and Herpin were awarded shared custody of their daughter.
Sweetin now has a very "open and honest" relationship with her daughters, Zoie and Beatrix. "As they get older, I'll be able to share more of my story [with them]" she told The Fix. It's Sweetin's hope that her daughters can learn something from her experiences. "At the end of the day, I can be an example of a sober woman for them, whether they have to go through their own struggles or not," she said.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
John Stamos' divorce made him feel 'like a failure'
In 1998, three years after "Full House" came to an end, John Stamos married fellow actor Rebecca Romijn. They met at a Victoria's Secret show and were one of the golden couples of the 1990s. Stamos and Romijn were together for a decade until they unexpectedly announced their split in 2004. The reason their breakup was a particular shock was because they continued making public appearances together as a couple, even after they'd already separated. They went to the "X2" premiere together in 2003, but "had already been split up for like 6 months" at that point, Stamos revealed to PopSugar (via The Things).
While they were keeping up appearances on the outside, it seems Stamos and Romijn's relationship wasn't as rosy as it appeared, and subsequent interviews have revealed plenty of hidden relationship drama — including Romijn allegedly forcing Stamos to turn down a role in "Nip/Tuck." Ryan Murphy "wrote Nip/Tuck for me," Stamos revealed to Details in 2015 (via Page Six). "But the person with whom I was in a relationship at the time read the script and said, 'That's demeaning toward women.'" Stamos didn't mention his ex-wife by name, but the series premiered in 2003 while the couple were still married.
In 2009, Stamos admitted his divorce made him feel "like a failure," telling People, "We were together for 10 years — it was heartbreaking. In my book at this point I would still be married and have three kids."
Mary-Kate Olsen was linked to Heath Ledger's death
Australian actor Heath Ledger tragically died in January 2008. His death was officially ruled as an accidental overdose of prescription drugs a few days later — though, at the same time, there was a lot of speculation about a certain Olsen twin's involvement with the actor. According to People, Ledger and Mary-Kate Olsen were reportedly "casually dating" around that time. Though Olsen has never confirmed the relationship, she was later linked to Ledger's death due to rumors that his masseuse, Diane Wolozin, found the late actor in his New York home and called Olsen via Ledger's speed dial before calling 911. Olsen later told authorities that she had been called so she could send for security she knew to come and help, People reported.
There was also speculation that Olsen may have provided Ledger with drugs, an allegation her lawyer rebuffed. "Olsen does not know the source of the drugs Mr. Ledger consumed," her attorney's statement said (via People). It also said that, despite media speculation, Olsen cooperated fully with authorities. No further allegations were brought against the fashion designer.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Lori Loughlin went to prison for bribery
"90210" star Lori Loughlin is best known for playing Rebecca "Becky" Donaldson Katsopolis in "Full House." She joined the series in 1988 as Danny Tanner's TV co-host and Jesse Katsopolis' love interest (and eventually wife). Loughlin reunited with her co-stars for the "Fuller House" spin-off in 2015. However, she had to be written out of the show before its final season because of her involvement in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. The scandal spread across multiple colleges and involved other high-profile celebs, like "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman.
Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, went to prison in 2020 after pleading guilty for paying $500,000 to secure their daughters' places at USC. "I made an awful decision," Loughlin admitted, per BBC News. "I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college admissions process, and in doing so, I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass," she said. Loughlin received a two-month sentence, while Giannulli served five months.
The actor has since returned to the small screen, appearing in Gac Family's "When Hope Calls" — a "When the Heart Calls" spin-off, aka the Hallmark Channel series she starred in prior to her arrest.
John Stamos had a run-in with the law too
Lori Loughlin's TV husband John Stamos also had a run-in with the law. In 2015, the "Full House" actor was arrested by the Beverly Hills Police Department for driving under the influence, reported People. Stamos was pulled over by the police after reports that he was "driving erratically." He was arrested, but then taken straight to the hospital to receive immediate and necessary medical attention. "Subsequent investigation at the hospital determined that he was driving under the influence," a Beverly Hills Police Department public information officer confirmed (via Us Weekly).
Stamos avoided jail time, but was ordered to undergo a three-month stay in rehab following his arrest, per E!. However, this was not the first time Stamos publicly had a problem with alcohol. In 2007, the actor appeared intoxicated while promoting "ER" on Australia's "Mornings With Kerri-Anne." He later apologized for being "plastered" and blamed his behavior on his jetlag (via Daily Star).
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
The Olsen twins were sued
After Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen stopped acting in 2011 and 2009, respectively, they focused on their fashion careers. By the early 2010s, the Olsen twins had launched two luxury brands — The Row, as well as Elizabeth and James — under the umbrella of Dualstar, their billion-dollar entertainment and fashion production company.
However, while they were selling t-shirts for $280 and alligator backpacks for $39,000, the Olsen twins' company was allegedly not paying its interns a cent for up to 50 hours of labor each week. In 2015, a group of design interns from The Row, led by Shahista Lalani, filed a class-action lawsuit against Dualstar. "You're like an employee, except you're not getting paid," Lalani alleged to Page Six. "They're kind of mean to you. Other interns have cried. I'd see a lot of kids crying [while] doing coffee runs, photocopying stuff." According to court papers the outlet obtained, the suit claimed that the interns "should have been paid ... minimum wage plus overtime," as they did not earn other compensation such as college credit for the hours they worked, despite "doing the same type of jobs as [their] paid colleagues."
According to The Fashion Law, Dualstar dubbed the lawsuit "meritless." However, the LLC later "settled out of court" for $140,000, which was split between 185 interns, the outlet confirmed.